White Knight
by Cassandra Royal
Summary: Since Seto Kaiba's return from the Millennium World, his dreams have been plagued with the memory of 'Kisara'. Tormented by her death and the sight of her kind smile, Seto finds himself at his wit's end. Then he's given an opportunity to revive her. Amid the memories, his past life, and the present day, he realizes something... He's managed to fall in love with her. Blueshipping
1. Shades of Blue

**Official _White Knight_ Summary:**

Five years have passed since Yami's victory over Yugi in the Ceremonial Duel, and five years have passed since Seto Kaiba placed himself in seclusion on a hideaway location that only five people in the whole world know about. Retiring from Duel Monsters and allowing his assistant to take over KaibaCorp in his absence, Seto thinks in solitude, pondering over his past, and plagued by dreams about the one known as 'Kisara'. Then one day, Yami appears before him, returning his deck to him and simply says, "It's time." Abruptly brought back into the world, Seto is told that Yami is attempting to bring back the Millennium Court in preparation for a possible new threat. However, he also mentions that it might be possible to bring Kisara back once again, and even with just a chance, Seto's willing to put everything on the line to do it. _Blueshipping_

.

 **White Knight**

 **Chapter One**

 **Shades of Blue**

.

 _All these shades, shades of blue,_

 _Where you close your eyes,_

 _Feel me by your side,_

 _I will wait for you,_

 _In all these shades of blue,_

 _Here in all these shades of blue..._

-Nick Lachey, _Shades of Blue_ lyrics

.

 _"Seto…"_

 _He was wandering aimlessly, led astray by the voice of a girl whom he'd been searching for, for so long. He followed the sound of her voice, her sweet melody whispering his name in a lure of pure devotion. And he was drawn in like a moth to flame._

 _"Kisara…" he breathed, panting from exertion._

 _He'd been running for so long, searching, hoping, but never seeing. Never witnessing the soft blush of her cheeks when she gazed upon him, never witnessing her baby blue, almost snow white locks blow through the summer breeze, never witnessing the way she stood beside him, unwavering in her resolve to remain loyal to him, and him alone. Never seeing. At least, not in a long, long time._

 _How long had it been since he'd last seen her face?_

 _"Seto!"_

 _Her voice grew nearer, and he ran for his life. "Kisara!"_

 _Everywhere was darkness, only illuminated by cerulean candlelight at his feet. This was his pathway, his way of search. Anywhere else, and he would fall into oblivion. He'd done that before, landing in a chaotic sea where she became even further away than before. He remembered hearing her scream his name that time, whether in pain for herself or at his own turmoil, he wasn't sure, but he knew one thing. He wasn't going to attempt that again. Not when her screams caused his own heart to wretch and writhe. In truth, he'd only gotten out after somehow crash-landing into a white desert where the moon gleamed a vivid crimson, and the sky an everlasting obsidian._

 _How long had he been trapped here? A year? A day? An hour? A second? It felt a bit more like an eternity to him._

 _Then the cerulean candles at his feet flickered, their blue aura disappearing and entrapping him in a void of black. He cursed inwardly, damning whatever thing was causing his world to be this way. Then without warning, everything went white._

 _Eyes burning from the sudden onslaught of burning light, he shielded them with his arms. Once the intensity decreased, he slowly opened his eyes. He blinked momentarily to regain his vision, before he let his arms fall to his sides. And the sight he was met with, startled him._

 _"Kisara…" he breathed, this time in awe._

 _Her smile was positively radiant on her lips, curved upward in joy. "Seto," she breathed. Then she ran into his arms._

 _Adorned in nothing but that horrific rag of a dress, she embraced him with all she had, but he made a mental note to personally throw that forsaken article in the incinerator if she ever returned to-His mind made an abrupt halt in his thought process, the sheer horror causing his heart to nearly freeze in his chest. This was a dream, nothing more. She-despite how much he wanted it otherwise-was nothing more than a figment of his imagination. He cursed whatever Gods he could name for this, for taking the one girl he… He wouldn't go there. He didn't dare for the consequences._

 _He'd already lost her once, and in a life that wasn't quite his own._

 _Unknowingly, he'd tightened his hold around her, breathing in the scent that smelled so utterly real and floral. In his arms, she felt extraordinarily tangible, so utterly, perfectly, real. If only._

 _"Oh, Seto," she whispered, slowly detangling herself, but still holding onto him. "Bring me back," she pleaded, those beauteous pair of sapphire eyes pulling at his heartstrings. "Bring me to your world, to reality. Leave these dreams, and let me be real."_

 _"But how?" he asked, frustration lacing his voice. "How?"_

 _Tears began to brim in her eyes, and that smile pulled at her lips. His heart was torn between happiness and despair. "You'll find your way," she said. "I know you will. You just have to believe in yourself again."_

 _That same blinding light began to engulf the edges of his mind, and all the shades of blue he could see were suddenly lost. He called out to her a final time, and he heard her reply with a single promise, " I believe in you, now you have to believe in yourself again. I believe in you, Seto."_

 _Then she added, "I always have."_

 _The world went black as he yelled her name._

.

"Kisara!" he called frantically, leaping into a sitting position on his bed. His mind whirled, panicked and racing. His head whipped around, seeing, but not understanding. Where was she? She'd only been right in front of him!

It took a moment, but he slowly remembered where he was. Breathing erratically and drenched in a cold sweat, Seto Kaiba felt an unbelievable strike of loss bloom in his chest, like a prickly thorn bent on revenge. He curled his hands into tightly knotted fists.

She'd only just been there. There. _Tangible_. She'd smiled at him. Only his best dreams gave him that sight for him to witness. And that forsaken belief of hers. As if he had the power to bring her back, even if he wanted to. She was gone, lost to a time before he was ever born. He'd never be able to bring her back. Not even if he wanted to.

He was utterly powerless.

He growled, punching the mattress beneath him. "Damn it," he swore.

Then he unclenched his fists and forced himself to breathe. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.

But even when he regained his sense of calm, the emptiness in his heart was enough to unsettle him. After that, he tore away at the silk comforters, throwing them away and letting them fall to the mattress in a heap. He got up and went to the window-wall of his room, the moon still shining like a bright beacon in the sky. The stars sparkled, practically winking at him, and he glared at them in a detached disdain.

Out below him, the ocean waves crashed softly onto the golden shores. Mokuba had thought this would be a good location for him, considering that the sound of ocean waves were supposed to be calming. He'd quickly found out that he had a certain loathing for the sound. It was part of the reason why he stayed indoors ninety-nine percent of the time. The other reason why was because in some of his dreams, Kisara met him at the edges of the Mediterranean Sea or Nile River. The constant swirl and crash to give him a constant reminder of her presence.

Then again, almost everything reminded him of her.

That was his reason for staying at this location in the first place.

Why go somewhere else, only to have an even bigger reminder? He could manage here well enough.

His room was under a shroud of utter darkness, the only illumination within the confines of his chambers being from the moonlight outside. It made him feel a certain trepidation. There was something different about it all, as if something had changed.

Then he scoffed to himself. Since when did he believe in signs? Magic, perhaps, but signs? Not really. Maybe if Kisara-No. He shook his head vigorously. He wouldn't permit his mind to wander like that, not towards boundaries that only brought him more pain.

She _wasn't_ coming back. At least, not by any immortal power of his own.

Seto sighed to himself, pressing his forehead against the glass window. He allowed his eyelids to descend, letting the world fall away into a sweet abyss of obsidian. He set his thoughts free.

Five years. Five years had passed since the Ceremonial Duel between the ancient pharaoh Atem and the legendary duelist Yugi Muto. That day had decided the fate of two lives, forever separating them from a single body. Atem-Yami-had come out victorious, but barely. He'd somehow managed to win, and with very few life-points remaining. Yugi'd even been able to devastate all three of the Egyptian God Cards as well as the Dark Magician before Yami had somehow pulled the one card that could defeat his younger counterpart. And while he would never tell any of the members of the Geek Squad about his surprise, that had been the single greatest duel he'd ever seen. He doubted he ever see anything like it again, either.

Following that day, everything had changed.

Following that duel, every night his dreams managed to conjure up illusions about a single girl with baby-blue locks and mesmerizing sapphire-like eyes. The dreams varied from nightmares about her death, to horrible Egyptian dungeons, her screams, and everything in between. Every type of torture… He shivered. Then there were the pleasant dreams that always left him reeling from her loss. He'd experienced one of those tonight.

Those were always the worst.

At least when he awoke from nightmares, he simply had to remind himself that they were dreams, nothing more. Maybe memories… But she'd endured whatever torture her captives had brought upon her long enough for her to return to Priest Seto… He'd woken up on plenty of occasions where he was left in a pool of hot rage when he saw her wounded and alone. Or other times where he felt just as shattered as the day when she first died.

But when he awoke to being torn away from her embrace… Seeing her smile like that. Those dreams were torturous for him to awake to.

Seto laughed humorously at his utter lack of power.

Since when was _Seto Kaiba_ powerless?

Only when Kisara was involved.

He remembered when he'd been in blissful ignorance, totally unaware that her soul resided in the three cards that remained in his possession. He'd been at his most powerful then, without her to drag his thoughts into discord, to threaten his calculative mind, and all but wreak havoc on his position in KaibaCorp. He'd nearly _lost_ KaibaCorp because of her constant memory.

Three months following the Ceremonial Duel, the world was finally at peace. Almost harmonious. Well, for everything and anyone except Seto Kaiba. He'd gone from lack of sleep to insomnia because of the nightmares. It had started with barely being able to pay attention in meetings, to shutting down various projects, to limiting his time at Headquarters, and finally, to his four year absence on a hideaway location that only five people in the whole world knew about. Hell, he'd even gone to a therapist before his departure, one that _Ishizu Ishtar_ had recommended, at that, so he could talk about the Memory World and his recent dreams.

He'd gotten desperate.

To this day, he hated to sleep.

It hadn't brought him peace in five damnable years.

He'd allowed his loyal assistant, Roland, to take over KaibaCorp in his absence, whereas Mokuba handled the reins as Vice President. Officially, Seto was still CEO, but he hadn't participated in any recent activities within the last four and a half years, preferring to watch from the sidelines. He'd been an observer, attentive, but unwilling to cooperate in anything for fear of ruining what he'd built up. His last three months as CEO had been horrific, looking back.

Seto scoffed as he remembered the media fiasco that'd fallen to his feet the day he'd decided to disappear. Everything had gone to hell. The press had been nipping at his heels for a story, but only five people knew the truth behind his departure _and_ where he intended on going.

Yugi, Yami, Mokuba, Ishizu, and Pegasus. The pathetic wretch of a man had actually had the audacity to stop and talk to him the day he'd left, worming his way into his manor and tracking him down. He'd 'sensed' something. 'A disturbance in the grand scheme' he'd said. Whatever that had meant. Without the Millenium Eye, the man was nothing but an annoying worm. And with the state Seto had been in, he'd told Pegasus the truth.

It was only after a month of complete solitude that he started to piece together his muddled mind, but the damage had already been dealt. Kisara wasn't going away. Five years of solitude told him that.

She'd made him a weak, vulnerable, little dove without his mother. She'd ruined him, demolished him, destroyed every barrier, every ambition, every thought…

And yet, he'd gone and fallen in love with her anyway.

A self-deprecating chuckle escaped his lips. How the mighty have fallen.

 _"Bring me to your world, to reality. Leave these dreams, and let me be real."_

But there wasn't a way. There simply _wasn't_.

 _"I believe in you, Seto."_

What was there to believe in?

 _"I always have."_

"But why?" he growled. "Why? Why do you believe in me? I let you die in the first place."

She'd probably just say something like, "Because you've never let me down." When the reality was, he had, in his past life, he'd allowed for her to _die_. His diabolical father had killed her. And as a last resort, Priest Seto had sealed her very soul in the inner sanctum of a tablet. Kisara, as the Blue Eyes White Dragon, had forever been his strongest monster, and his loyalest companion.

But it just wasn't enough. Not anymore. Not when he knew the truth, some five thousand years later.

Now, he couldn't even look at a Blue Eyes White Dragon card without wanting to push it away. Within the course of three months, he'd lost all drive to ever play Duel Monsters again. He'd even sworn to both Yami and Yugi that he would never, ever play again. They'd been relatively horrified by his abrupt decision, but he intended on owning up to that vow. He retired knowing he was the third greatest duelist in the world. Bronze.

He didn't even care.

He could watch duels just fine, but looking at his Blue Eyes… Absolutely not. He refused.

He was entirely apathetic to his titles, but that hadn't discriminated his arrogance. Not even Joey Wheeler had probably figured out that he'd left his previous endeavors in the dust. In fact, Seto doubted that the dog even knew now, some five years later. His arrogance was still intact, as well as his waspish tongue. He was still Seto Kaiba. His exterior hadn't deteriorated completely, especially since he'd forced himself to pick up the pieces. Those three months had done damage, but not enough to cripple him in the arrogance department. That thought in mind, he didn't dare attempt to regain his standing as CEO anytime soon. He didn't want to make things worse by returning prematurely without knowing he could handle it completely.

Only five people knew that his interior was shattered.

Mokuba, without Seto at his side, had gotten a very busy schedule, but the kid seemed to enjoy it. He was the main figurehead of KaibaCorp these days, running duel tournaments and allowing the scientists in their labs to create the things that Seto normally would. The kid had raised KaibaCorp in the five years he'd been gone, and it brought him a subtle twinge of pride. He'd done well. Now seventeen years old, the younger Kaiba had grown up.

Mokuba visited whenever he could, which pleased him. Other than Yami showing up once a year to simply inquire about whatever was on his mind, Mokuba was his only visitor on the island. And despite it all, he couldn't help but _not_ despise the Pharaoh. Since his ambitions of being titled the King of Games had been left to rot, he didn't mind the man, odd as he was. Always spewing something about friendship and bonds.

Seto scoffed, but managed a smirk.

Some things just didn't change.

A slice of scarlet interrupted his brooding. He opened his eyes, finding that the world had moved on without him. In the distance, far into the horizon, the beginnings of dawn sprang into life, and a single ray of sunlight danced into his irises, toying with his vision. He blinked and turned away.

It was a new day.

.

It was around dusk when the rushing sounds of a helicopter made him pause in his piano-playing-one of the few things that could keep him calm these days. Someone was here. Unscheduled, at that. What would've caused this? If Mokuba was in mortal danger or if KaibaCorp went down, he'd at least receive some sort of call or text. He checked his phone. Nothing.

He became grim.

It meant something personal. And he knew someone with a certain taste for dramatics other than Pegasus himself. He humphed, and made his way outside to greet his 'guest'. He didn't tolerate this type of behavior. Yami knew well enough not to bother him without warming.

He made his way up to the launch-pad at the side of his manor, the racing wind sending his chestnut tendrils scattering into the wind. The helicopter was on autopilot, and only one person exited, leaping onto the ground with an ancient grace as the twin blades slowly came to a stop. Gusts of topical air whipping through the ruffles of his jacket, Yami Muto walked with the lethality of a king, confident and assured, yet intense. And those eyes. They told of a thousand years of life, wise, but constantly learning. Supposedly, his eternal rival.

Seto crossed his arms. "What are you doing here, Yami?" he inquired, snappish. "Unless you're here for a purpose, go back to Domino City."

"Hmm, never were one for small talk, were you?"

"You never were either, so why don't you just cut to the chase, and spare me anything else." While, he had nothing to do otherwise, this unexpected visit had him on edge.

Yami just eyed him, analyzing. "As you wish," he drawled.

There was an unspoken rule between the two that they always spoke in his study whenever Yami visited his hideaway, no where else. Whatever they said there was under strict lock and key, no one else in the entire world would know what they discussed. The majority of their conversations involving topics about Egypt and the secrets behind their pasts, as well as current events within Domino that only Yami would be aware of. The Pharaoh always seemed to be caught up in something.

They entered his study thereafter, locking the door behind them and he stroked a few keys on his computer. No one, not even the President of the United States would be able to find them here. Seto took his position behind his desk, hands resting comfortably ahead of him while Yami leaned against the glass window that overlooked the main courtyard, veiled by the shadows of twilight.

"State your purpose, Yami."

The King of Games wasn't even fazed by his temper. Then again, he rarely was. He took a moment to reply. "Things have been… _Different_ recently, Kaiba," he confessed. "Since we last spoke last year, I've constantly been on the move, Yugi and the others following along as they saw fit. I'm traveled all across the world due to Joey's, Yugi's, and my own prize-winnings in tournaments, dueling for fun, and simply enjoying life. Then several months ago, something changed. I'm not entirely sure what, but there was a sudden _shift_ in the air. A constant darkness that lurked in the corners that hadn't been there before. Yugi sensed the same thing I did, and Ishizu said the same."

"Your point?"

"I have been attempting to bring back the Millennium Court," Yami admitted gruffly, closing his eyes in obvious frustration. He'd probably been losing sleep over it. "And it… Hasn't been easy."

"What concern is this for me?" Seto asked, and a bit waspishly. "You're the Pharaoh, aren't you? Why trouble me?"

"Well, you are the reincarnation of Priest Seto, for one."

"Our ambitions are entirely different from one another, especially these days. We're completely different from one another."

At that, Yami actually snapped at him, "Yes, but you're the only person that can wield the Millennium Rod! It… It no longer accepts Marik as its master anymore, not since the days before Battle City."

Seto would admit he wanted to know why. "Is there a reason for that?"

Yami shook his head. "The Millennium Items hold mysteries that not even I know about. Who they choose and why, is one of them."

Seto decided to just let that be his answer, but something else nagged at him. He was rather disgusted with his next thought. "Please don't tell me that we'll need to save the world again, Yami."

Said man sighed. "That remains to be seen. As I've said, shadows have been acting up, and I've sensed things. Everything appears to be normal, but I know for a fact that it's not."

He tried to keep the unimpressed deadpan from his voice, "You're basing everything around a hunch."

"Yes, but you should know me well enough to know that I'm rarely wrong."

"And if on the off chance that you might be wrong?"

"Then all is well," Yami consented. "But I can assure you, Kaiba, it most certainly is not."

Seto knotted his hands together, resting his chin on his thumbs. He decided to entertain whatever ideas Yami was worried about for now. "Who have you found so far?"

"All who have been reincarnated, which makes for four, as well as Pegasus, for five. The Millennium Scale is the only one who I cannot find a member for-"

"That reincarnated should make up for five, not four," Seto interrupted.

Yami shook his head once more. "The Necklace has rejected Bakura since the aftermath of the Ceremonial Duel. Instead, amid my travels I managed to find a suitable replacement."

"Well, don't keep me waiting on purpose," Seto drawled sarcastically.

Yami pursed his lips, but didn't retort. "He's an exceptional duelist, quite possibly one of the top five best in the world, and has an attachment to monster spirits. From what I've seen, they seem to hold onto him like a second skin, and he has no problems with them either, instead remaining close friends with each one he meets. He's also become a close friend of mine in the passing months."

Seto was getting impatient. "His _name_ , Yami."

"Jaden Yuki."

Seto paused, then lifted a brow. "You're serious." He realized that he'd sounded rather incredulous, for Seto Kaiba-standards anyway. He knew that name well.

"Is there a problem with him that I should know about?" Yami inquired, brows furrowed in confusion.

Seto let himself lean back in his chair. That name was starkly familiar. He'd gotten several emails and calls from the Duel Academy headmaster about him, as well as from several of the proctors who'd all but demanded his immediate expulsion since, 'The headmaster is being ridiculous and should make this Slifer Slacker leave Duel Academy forever!". The headmaster himself had a different belief on the matter of the infamous Jaden Yuki.

"Jaden Yuki," Seto let out a breath. "A Slifer Red student at KaibaCorp's first Duel Academy, who'd managed to land himself a spot on my personal watch-list after his performance during his academy entrance exams after being the cause of some decidedly _unique circumstances_ , and who'd also managed to receive the worst marks I've ever seen when it came to a school of my own. Despite this, he repeatedly declined rising in the ranks of dorms, instead remaining in Slifer despite being ranked as the best duelist in the school. He'd even managed to impress Pegasus when he went looking for your stolen Winged Dragon of Ra card. I've kept tabs on him ever since. From what I've heard, he's also managed to save the world almost as many times as you have."

Yami blinked a few times, letting the information sink in. "I take it that you don't disapprove of his membership within the Millennium Court then."

"His credentials are quality enough. It's the other members I question."

At that, Yami smiled. "You obviously haven't met Jaden yourself then. He's far from your type of companion."

"I never said I intended on befriending anyone."

He saw Yami smirk. He was probably thinking of something he would outright deny. Something about unintentional friendships with Yami and his cheerleaders despite the cold and cruel walls he upheld on a daily basis.

Seto resolved not to comment on his deduction, rather he drew on much more pressing matters. "I'm not going to assume that you came here today just for that. You always have two cards up your sleeve, never just one. What do you want from me?"

The smirk fell from his lips, falling into a deep frown. "I believe you know exactly what I want, Kaiba. Come back to Domino City and claim your place as holder of the Millennium Rod."

Seto's eyes grew cold, narrowing into blue slits. "Not a chance," he bit out, defiant and unwilling to submit. "I'm not going to go back. Not even _you_ can make me go back."

He saw Yami clench his jaw hard, and his steady legs made their way over to his desk with three quick strides. Before he could even question his actions, however, Yami did indeed pull a card from his pocket, many, in fact. He then presumed to slam the deck in front of him. "It's time, Kaiba. The world needs you."

His gaze slid from his deck to the Pharaoh. "After what I've seen." It almost sounded like a question. "I won't." Then he growled, "I don't care about _your_ means of protecting the world when _my_ world has already crumbled to dust, Yami."

A deafening silence passed between them, and Yami stared at Kaiba in a new light. He'd known that Kaiba had left Domino in the first place because of the nightmares, but this statement went beyond what he'd imagined. Was his bond with Kisara so strong that this had transpired? Yes… He reminded himself. The Memory World had brought a whole new perspective into a mind that hadn't even believed in magics and a type of romantic love that had the ability to transcend time... His surprise transformed into melancholy understanding. But still. "You don't mean that," Yami said slowly. "Not completely. Not when there's still a world to save."

Seto remained silent, his disconnected eyes cast into oblivion. What troubled thoughts swirled in his mind, Yami would never truly know, but he knew of a way to bring back the Seto Kaiba he once knew and befriended. To breech the walls of despair, to fight past the restraints that kept him chained to this island, to reconstruct a broken heart... Yami sighed. He should've done this long ago, before Seto's soul had become tarnished by memory and regret and pain. The only thing that had kept him from doing so before were the possible consequences. No one knew how much power it would require to resurrect the spirits from ancient times and bring them back into the land of the living. He would've done so with Mahad and Mana if he knew just how much it would cost. But seeing Kaiba like this, lost and without aim, it was the only option left.

"There may be a way," Yami said softly, almost painfully. What possible price would they pay for this? "To bring her back, that is…"

That seemed to resurrect his spirit, as he snapped his gaze back to the Pharaoh's. "What?"

"There are memories of mine," Yami explained, scrapping his mind and Millennium Puzzle for any information at all. "Blurred images, remnants of a ceremony, but nothing more. Even now, the memories are jumbled, especially my youth in Ancient Egypt, and this ceremony seems to be apart of that collection. The Millennium Spellbook would certainly suffice as a starting point, it created the Millennium Items in the first place. However, we'd have to find it first, because as far back as I remember, it hasn't been seen since my father's reign. Perhaps we should start there?"

"'We'?" Kaiba intoned after a pause, his expression stony at best. "I don't think so."

Yami was startled by this comment. "And why not?"

It was then that Kaiba stood from his desk. There was an aura around him, casting around the very air he stood. Absently, Yami recognized it as ambition, a feeling he hadn't felt around Seto Kaiba in over five years. Even his eyes had changed into something determined and fierce. Apparently, a mere chance was enough to restore some life in his friend, but a mere chance it was. Then again, Kaiba never backed down from a challenge, at least, not the one he used to know. Yami crossed his arms and leaned back, a signature pose that clarified his satisfaction.

"Because this is now an official KaibaCorp project," Kaiba informed him, a cinder from the flames returning to stoke the fire. "And I don't need you in my way until later. In the mean time, we need to head back to Domino City. There are assets there that I can't reach from here."

Yami smiled, but it lessened as Kaiba added in, "But don't get any fantasies in your head about the me joining your Millennium Court, Yami." But Yami pocketed the deck in one of his holders anyway, knowing that someday that there might still be a chance.

Before another word could even be spoken, Seto was out the door, and Yami followed.

 _Bring me into your world_ , she'd said. _Bring me back into your world._

There was a way? He was still questioning the probability of it, but whatever reservations he had were all but thrown out the door by the time he went down to the basement (the helicopter would be too loud for him to think straight), found his jet, set the coordinates, placed it into autopilot mode, sat down, and the duo went flying off into the night sky. But he knew one thing, he wasn't going to question Yami's beliefs. The man was too intelligent to lead him into starting a wild goose chase, and there was also the fact that he didn't seem to be able to tell a lie.

The first thing he needed to do was locate the Millennium Spellbook, if it even existed anymore. He'd need to talk to Ishizu, determine what she'd probably 'seen' from that necklace of hers and… And… And... Seto knew he was running on a high of adrenaline, his heart racing in his chest, as rest of his body trembled with uncharacteristic anxiety.

He shook himself. He was returning to Domino City. The press, they were going to have a field day knowing that the CEO of KaibaCorp was back. He'd have to arrive without anyone knowing until this 'project' was over. There was also Mokuba to worry about, as well as his…

He needed to calm down.

But he also needed to think.

"What's this?"

Seto nearly snapped at Yami to be quiet, but his voice caught in his throat.

Yami, who'd comfortably sat himself down in the other row, was curiously holding up a glowing Blue Eyes White Dragon card. Within moments, a manifestation of the dragon was hovering above their heads. Its roar was enough to shake the jet, but Seto heard it differently.

The Pharaoh blinked. "She said to calm down." Then he laughed. "How odd. I assume she's talking to you, Kaiba?"

It had been five years since he'd dared to face her in this form. But the sight was enough. A glimpse. A waterfall of serenity descended upon him. What magic was this? To hold such sway over his emotions? He shouldn't have to ask himself that. At his most vulnerable, he knew. He knew all too well.

The dragon then snapped back into the card, whatever residue of ancient energy dormant inside. Waiting.

Seto didn't speak after that, settling for his inner deliberations and plans. He had a lot to consider.

.

It was early morning when they landed on a personal terminal in the Domino City International Airport. Managing to snag a few hours worth of a restless sleep in constant search of Kisara, Seto was relieved to be awoken by the plane hitting the runway. Near him, Yami sat awake and alert, glancing at him, but unspeaking.

He'd informed Mokuba of his decision in the first few hours of the flight, and he'd been absolutely ecstatic, but had simmered down after he confessed that he wouldn't be returning as CEO for quite some time, as well as to keep his return under wraps. His little brother obliged, but the question hung in the air. Why so sudden? He briefly explained that he had an idea for a project and would talk more once they were alone. Following that, he'd made sure to confirm Ishizu's position within the Millennium Court, knowing that if she held the Millennium Necklace, the woman was bound to be aware of something he wasn't. Gods forbid Ishizu Ishtar from not interfering with his future, especially when he actually _wanted_ something from her. As it ended up, she'd only just recently gone home with the necklace in her possession and promised to call if anything came up. She'd had flashes involving shades of blue and gold in the passing hours, but nothing more. He also said that there was a very high chance he would be traveling to Egypt soon. After that, he forced himself into calling Pegasus, since he had quite the expertise in Egyptian studies. The flamboyant millionaire had apparently been 'expecting' his call for 'some time now' and expressed his great joy of seeing him again so soon. When Seto inquired about the Spellbook, Pegasus mentioned that he had seen such a thing kept stowed away in a secret location back in Egypt, in _Pharaoh Seto's_ tomb of all places. He added in that the Blue Eyes White Dragon tablet was also there as well, 'at rest and undisturbed', if Seto was 'worrying' about it.

With that, Seto's plan began to formulate.

"Are you leaving for Egypt soon then?" Yami asked as they exited the plane. A car was waiting for them there, men in expensive suits with the 'KC' insignia moving about to secure the area, and their privacy.

"I am," Seto answered warily. "Why? Plan on going with me?"

"You'll need all the Items, if what I remember is correct."

"Just perfect." Seto scowled. "I'm going to assume that the Geek Squad will hitch a ride on my jet too?"

He had the audacity to smile. "That goes without saying, yes?"

"And what about the Scale's holder?"

"I sent Jaden on it. A few hours ago he mentioned that the Ring began to lead him in the right direction."

A few hours ago... Seto narrowed his eyes. Ishizu said that only a few hours ago, she'd began having visions about 'shades of blue and gold'. Only a few hours ago, he'd made the decision to bring Kisara back into being. Hmm… Seto didn't think it was a coincidence.

"I don't care who you have to wake up," Seto abruptly announced. "Just gather whoever you have from this Millennium Court and bring them to the Kaiba Manor in two hours time. We leave then."

"Kaiba, it's three in the morning," Yami attempted. "We can't just-"

A man opened the limo door for Seto, before he settled himself inside. "I'm not waiting any longer, Yami." He closed the door in the Pharaoh's face, and the limo took off into the morning darkness. Absently, Seto mused that Atem might be losing his touch.

Mokuba met him at the door of the Kaiba Manor, grinning from ear to ear before wrapping him in a bear hug that he nearly froze from. His little brother wasn't quite so little anymore. Almost 5,10 to Seto's 6,2, the embrace felt more awkward than it did in the past, but he accepted it nonetheless.

The Kaiba brothers moved to Seto's old study to converse further, which had been in disuse since his departure. Once he entered, he realized with a spark of familiarity that everything was exactly how he'd left it. Pristine, clean, and with few personal prospects to define it. Seto sat behind his old desk, whereas Mokuba placed himself in one of the two chairs ahead of it.

"So, how's it been, recently, Seto?" Mokuba asked, curious. "It's been what, three months? Not that I'm complaining, of course, you need your time off, but _something_ must've happened to bring you back all of a sudden like this."

 _You have no idea._ "That would be an understatement," Seto admitted with a quirk of his brow. He leaned back in his chair and enlightened his little brother. He divulged his secrets about the nightmares he never really spoke of in the past, the blissful, yet aching illusions whenever he visited Kisara amidst his dreams, the memories as Priest Seto, the meeting he'd had with Yami only hours ago, the small chance he'd be able to bring the one girl he cared for, back, and the plan to do so. As he spoke, he hadn't realized that the hours had passed without his notice. The sun was rising by the time he finished, and a quick glance at the clock told him it was already five twenty-five in the morning. The Geek Squad had better get here soon, before he lost the rest of his patience.

"Wow," Mokuba breathed, stunned by the various revelations that had taken five years to come to light. He'd known a little about it all, but the explicit details made his head spin. "You're in love, Seto. Ha, I'm happy for you, Bro. Really am. And you think that Kisara's the current holder of the Millennium Scale? That's why they haven't been found yet? I knew Yami was attempting to do something about the Items, but I never expected everything to just get thrown together like this! Add in the fact this is a lot of information for five in the morning…" Then his head shot up again. "Wait! What happens after Kisara's back, Seto? I mean, you look fine in all, but are you up for it again? And the company is going to have a hayday if they realize you're back, I mean, it's been _five years_. Ugh, _so much_ to consider!" He slumped in his chair, exhausted.

Upon hearing the slight approach of footsteps from the lower corridors, Seto stood up and moved towards the door. "We'll discuss what follows afterward, _after_ ," he told him. "In the meantime, we have places to be. Come on, Mokuba."

"Huh? Oh! I'm right behind you!"

"You packed before I got here, right?" Seto inquired as they descended down the double staircase to the main entranceway.

"Yep! The maids even packed some of your old clothes too, considering that you were in a bit of a rush today. Your white trenchcoat is there."

He was rather intrigued. "Is it, now?" It'd been years since he'd worn one of his signature jackets. "I'll be sure to find it later."

The Geek Squad, with the addition of Jaden Yuki, Solomon Muto, and Maximillion Pegasus were waiting for them in the main courtyard, as well as a young woman that he knew very well: Alexis Rhodes. Seeing her there with everyone was rather surprising, especially since he knew she'd been in the pro-dueling circuit the past two years like Yami and Jaden. He knew she was friends with Jaden Yuki, but what would've brought her here?

She was the first person he addressed. "Well, if it isn't the Queen of Obelisk herself. It's been awhile, Alexis, however I'm surprised that you'd spend time with these geeks." He lifted his chin to the slacker crew, who were muttering insults under their breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tristan holding back the blonde dog from attacking. He smirked.

Alexis frowned a little. "Well, they are my friends, Seto. I'd prefer if you didn't insult them, and you know that I don't like that 'queen' nickname."

"Wait," Yugi interrupted, waving his hands around. "You two know each other?"

From beside Alexis, he heard Jaden Yuki utter a quiet, yet incredulous, "You know _Seto Kaiba_ , Lex?"

She nodded before speaking. "He's practically a brother, but an _absent_ brother in the recent years." She threw him a look. "I almost thought he'd disappeared like Atticus had. That being said, I due technically own my life to him."

Jaden was floored. "What?!"

"It's simple, really," Seto said before any more questions could be fired. "Ten years ago, before I even owned KaibaCorp, this girl ran in front of a car in the middle of the night on my way home from a meeting. With no one else around, she probably would've died. I brought her to a hospital before that happened, and tracked down the offender with everything I had following that day."

Alexis smiled. "You also came to see me everyday afterward, despite your busy schedule. We've basically been close ever since."

"So there's actually another person on this Earth who's _friends_ with _Kaiba_?" Joey connected, scratching his head in thought. "Who'd hav' thought?"

Seto dutifully ignored him and turned back to Alexis. "Not that I'm not pleased so see you, but what exactly are you doing here?"

"Jeez. I haven't seen you in five years and this is the reception I get?" she sighed, recovering her cool quickly enough. "I'm Jaden's girlfriend," she told him, pointing to the brunette who looked a little embarrassed by the sudden declaration. "We were supposed to be in a tag-team-tournament this weekend, but you called everyone from the Millennium Court for a meeting about going to Egypt. I wanted to go with."

He spared Jaden a cold glance, who met his glare with a sheepish smile. This was the infamous Jaden Yuki, huh? Impressed as he was about his past history, Seto didn't voice it. They had more important matters now. He said, "Since you're the holder of the Ring, you should know that I need you to find the Scale's holder, _now_."

"Me?" Jaden questioned, clearly not expecting Seto to personally greet him. His silent intensity answered him. He gulped, "Uh, name's Jaden-"

"I know who you are Jaden Yuki," Seto intercepted coldy. "Just try to find the damn Scale holder, will you?"

Dumbfound and a little subdued by his attitude, Jaden just said, "Uhh right… Time to glow, Ring." It didn't move. "Umm, time to move, Ring, buddy! Ya know, glow time?"

Seto was just about to walk by and skip this portion of whatever conversation they would've had, but then the Millenium Ring did start to glow. The pincers around the outer edge swiveled and swerved, before pointing straight at Yami. Glancing up from his ring, Jaden did a double take. He furrowed his brows. "Well, this can't be right, Yami may be the Pharaoh, but he can't have _two_ items."

Yami spoke up, looking at Seto momentarily, "No, but I think I know what the Ring is actually pointing towards." He shuffled through the card holders at his side, before finding what he was searching for. The second his fingertip hit the card, a white light illuminated the area in a soft glow that shimmered with cerulean sparks. Everyone gasped except Seto and Yami, who'd expected as much.

"B-But why would it be pointing towards Yami's card?" Tea asked, taken aback.

"It's not mine," he admitted. "It's Kaiba's." The group stared at Seto in explanation when Yami displayed the card for everyone to see: The Blue Eyes White Dragon. What was going on here?! Why did Yami have Kaiba's card, and why was it glowing like that?!

Seto merely stood there. It wasn't a shock that he was right, he usually was. What he did find was odd was that Yami hadn't explained the significance of their being here. He pursed his lips. "You never told them."

"It isn't my story to tell."

"You're right."

"Oooh, a story," Pegasus purred, speaking for the first time. "I always love a good story, especially about Kaiba-boy."

He spared a glare for the millionare, but it didn't linger. They still needed to leave. "I'll explain on the way," he bit out. "But we are heading out. We've wasted enough time here already." With that, Seto barked a few orders to his personal staff before they all were hauled into a few KaibaCorp limousines, Seto and Mokuba taking one for themselves. He wanted some peace quiet before he lamented his life story to a bunch of dweebs.

.

The plane-ride to Egypt was going horribly, in Seto's opinion. He sat in a living-room on one side of the plane-other than Mokuba-while the rest of his passengers watched and scrutinized him like he was the question to life's existence. And he'd had enough. Arms and legs crossed in a calm, yet predatory visage, he snapped his eyes open, glaring daggers at whomever decided to look at him like they were.

"Hey, hey, man," Tristan quavered. "No need to kill anyone, we're just curious, is all."

"You are hauling us all the way to Egypt," Alexis added in softly, aware that whatever was going on was taking its toll on Seto.

Then Tea piped in, "That's true. We all deserve an explanation."

Seto made a growl, low in his throat, but it was more to himself than projected to anyone in particular. Baby blue and sapphire danced in his vision, as well as a smile that always managed to steal the breath from his lungs. His fists clenched. How was he about to explain anything to these buffoons when he could barely think about her without feeling like he'd already lost his own soul?

"Would you rather I tell them?" Yami inquired from a few paces beside him.

Seto clenched his jaw. "No."

He nodded. "Very well."

It took awhile, but Seto forced himself into remembering Kisara's words. _I believe in you, now you have to believe in yourself again.  I believe in you, Seto._ He stood up, finding his footing, before he faced one of the larger windows of his private jet. He didn't like it, and he didn't want to admit it to _them_. He was just glad that Pegasus was keeping his trap shut, the man knew how to press his buttons, but he remained silent, watching, waiting, probably because he had some preconceived notions already. But he steered his mind elsewhere, knowing that he was stalling himself. He'd never been adept in procrastination and he wasn't going to start now.

"Only four of you lot know why I've been gone for five years..." Seto began, gritting his teeth. "It began five years ago, the night after the Ceremonial Duel…" So, he told his tale, the shades of blue formulating in his head, spinning, churning, thinking…

He thought of her.

But he didn't weep.

He didn't stumble.

He didn't waver.

He realized later on that he didn't even sound wistful.

His voice was there, speaking, but his very spirit, it seemed, was lost in the memories, rewatching every encounter, every smile, every pain, every minute of every hour he'd ever had with her… She was waiting for him there, in all the shades of blue.

.

.

.

 **White Knight**

 **Author's Note:**

 _A severely angsty Seto in the beginning of this chapter. Honestly, I kinda like it, but don't worry, he'll get his mojo back even more so once Kisara's resurrected, he's just really depressed right now, and seclusion does drawn on the nerves, but he needed that for awhile. Thankfully, Yami needs him for the newest generation of the Millennium Court, otherwise, who knows how long he'd have stayed there, especially without hope? I mean, five years… That's a long time. As for his exterior as seen by the other characters, he may seem normal, but trust me, his inner turmoil is quite real. This will be further expanded (detail/information wise) once Kisara is back~!_

 _Meanwhile, I'll probably have Kisara return to us at the end of the next chapter!_

 _Okay, realized that Seto and Yami have this weird, almost confidant/colleague relationship, he'll kinda have that a little bit too with Yugi as you'll see. Also, I just couldn't stand getting rid of Yami! He's my second favorite character next to Seto…_

 _On another note, I'm absolutely obsessed with Seto and Kisara at the moment! I'm totally in love with Seto~! I think it was about three weeks ago that I decided to rewatch the YuGiOh episodes. It was on a whim, and now I'm head first in Duel Monsters drama. Currently in the midst of season three! Thank you summer vacation for allowing me to continuously watch tv like this!_

 _Inform me of errors please._

 _And review, lovely readers! Constructive criticism is happily read by yours truly. Have a lovely day~!_

 _-CassandraRoyal_


	2. Supernatural

**Official** _ **White Knight**_ **Summary:**

Five years have passed since Yami's victory over Yugi in the Ceremonial Duel, and five years have passed since Seto Kaiba placed himself in seclusion on a hideaway location that only five people in the whole world know about. Retiring from Duel Monsters and allowing his assistant to take over KaibaCorp in his absence, Seto thinks in solitude, pondering over his past, and plagued by dreams about the one known as 'Kisara'. Then one day, Yami appears before him, returning his deck to him and simply says, "It's time." Abruptly brought back into the world, Seto is told that Yami is attempting to bring back the Millennium Court in preparation for a possible new threat. However, he also mentions that it might be possible to bring Kisara back once again, and even with just a chance, Seto's willing to put everything on the line to do it. _Blueshipping_

.

 **White Knight**

 **Chapter Two**

 **Supernatural**

.

 _Every step I've taken has led me here to where you are,_

 _But all that I believe in is keeping me from seeing too far,_

 _Throwing out the questions, waiting for the right reply,_

 _Looking for the answers, tell me, will it be tonight?_

 _But now it's too late, it's taking over me,_

 _It feels so supernatural and I'm pulled the other way..._

-Daughtry, _Supernatural_ lyrics

.

It was just the beginning of afternoon when they arrived in Egypt, and everyone was still reeling from the onslaught of information they'd received, Seto could tell. Having been a fifteen hour flight, the majority of them had slept after his story. He was pleased to find that no one acted the least bit differently. He may be chasing after a girl-quite literally-from his dreams, but that didn't change anything. He was still Seto Kaiba. After his speech, he'd quickly snapped that pity was out of the question, they were here with a purpose, and petty emotions like that would only hinder their work, even if he was the lead organizer for a _specific reason_. His exterior was enough to hold himself back, and it was enough. For now. And while it wasn't his reason for bringing Kisara back, the Millennium Court needed her if they were going to be an entire court. Yami had elaborated on that half himself.

Ishizu was there to pick them up, along with a rather talkative Marik and a silent Odion. He'd called her earlier that morning, shooting off questions left and right about what they were about to do.

Which was closer to the Valley of the Kings? A hotel or their house?

Their house-Thirty minutes closer, in fact.

Would they be able to head straight there? Seto wasn't in the mood to wait.

Yes.

Visions?

Vague images that supported details about… Blue hair? She was doubtful, but Seto wasn't.

Did she know anything about the resurrection ceremony?

She did not. Her visions were only beginning to return; they told nothing of the coming days.

Then she simply stated that she was pleased to know that Seto now fully believed in his past life and all the magics that went along with it, since he'd still been a little disbelieving when he'd left Domino five years ago. Her comment had been curt and respectful, but he'd merely waved her off. He didn't care what she thought of him. She'd added in that she'd be more than happy to assist him in whatever his endeavors were, despite being a little skeptical after he'd given her a basic review of what he'd told the others that morning as well as his theory/fact that Kisara was the (probable) wielder of the Millennium Scale. She'd accepted nonetheless, and without further argument.

In fact, while his servants were being led off to the Ishtar household by Odion, the group was already bustling down the sands of Egypt on a Jeep, courtesy of Ishizu. The one he'd been forced into consisted of: Pegasus, Wheeler, and Tea in the far back row, Yami, Yugi, and Mokuba in the next row, and Ishizu and himself in the front. The rest of were with Marik who drove in a similar vehicle close behind. They'd passed through the city of Luxor, the majority other than himself eying the sights with interest and no small amount of curiosity, especially when they went past the city limits and into the tourist attractions that featured ancient Egyptian architecture.

"If only those people knew that two Pharaoh's are currently alive and well and near them too," Pegasus mentioned with a grin. "Oh, just what would they think?"

Yugi was a little sheepish as he glanced at his Ancient counterpart. "It would be a little shocking."

"Well, that would be a bit of an understatement." Tea sweatdropped, probably insinuating the possibility in that head of hers.

"No kiddin'!" Wheeler chimed in. "I mean, no disrespect ta ya, Yami, but ya two are like what, five-thousand years old?"

Seto didn't like that remark. "It's called _reincarnation_ you thick-headed dog," he snapped. "The only one here that's aged five millennia without managing to truly die and pass on, is Yami. The rest of us died a long time ago."

Wheeler was about to retort, but Ishizu cut him off before he could try, "It's also true that if that was the case, the entire Millennium Court would be five-thousand years old, which is wrong to believe. The only reason the Pharaoh has survived so long is because his spirit was sealed inside the inner chambers of the Millennium Puzzle after defeating Zorc, until the day that Yugi released him, his modern reincarnation. The Puzzle is the only reason he was to maintain his spirit and bring him into the life he is currently sustaining. The rest, well, _most_ of the Millennium Court from time time of Pharaoh Atem's rule have since been reincarnated."

"Ya know," Joey began, subdued, but annoyed. "I was just bein' relative, but whatever. Ya two are just too serious."

A silence descended over the Jeep, awkward, had he cared to notice, but silent nevertheless. The minutes past and Seto's mind whirled with planning and outcomes of their success, what they would find and what he hoped for. Kisara, as usual, was at the forefront of all his thoughts, but for the first time, he didn't push her away. He openly embraced her memory. He knew he couldn't fail.

Seto Kaiba didn't fail.

Maybe Priest Seto had.

But Seto Kaiba wouldn't.

There wasn't going to be a chance of failure. His determination was strong enough to transform in genuine belief, and the ray of light that some would call hope. But this ray was all-encompassing in his mind, and it wasn't fading. He would bring her back, and Seto knew for a cold, hard, and impenetrable fact, that he was willing to put everything on the line to do it. There was no stopping him, and he wouldn't let anything get in his way.

He was Seto Kaiba and he loved Kisara.

There wasn't a doubt.

"It would be interesting," Yami spoke up, thoroughly interrupting him, and the peaceful silence. He almost shot the spiky-haired Pharaoh a glare, but didn't. The rest of the Jeep turned to hear his musings. "If the Pharaohs were still around. When Cleopatra VII died, the royal Egyptian line ended. Religions have changed since then, beliefs transforming into something entirely different, the stories replaced and removed, yet never forgotten by the populace. Now the sands of Egypt lie in memory of times since past, and few know the truth behind it all. The Pyramids remain a mystery to many and secrets have been sealed since they were created. What would've happened had she survived to continue the line?" He smiled, but it was resigned. "I suppose we'll never know, will we?"

The question-while rhetorical-was left in the air. It provoked ponderings, and as usual, the philosophical Pharaoh was always answered to. Ishizu paused, and Seto knew that she was troubled by his words. She'd probably asked the same thing every now and again. "That's not true," she said, her grip tightening on the steering wheel. "We do know what happened, don't we? The Millennium Court is back, my Pharaoh. _You_ are back. The royal line continues regardless of what history thinks. Cleopatra may be gone, but the royal line has been resurrected by your return." She eyed him next. "The same thing can be said about Yugi and Kaiba as well. They are technically royal, in a sense, being the modern reincarnations of past Pharaohs."

Yami humphed in a agreement, clearly uplifted. "I suppose that is true."

Yugi was laughing nervously, "It's kinda weird to think of myself as a type of king. I mean, Yami was a great king, but me?"

"Oh, come on, Yug, you'd be a great king," Wheeler appraised. "And while we're mentioning this, could I be like, I don't know… Your right hand man or somethin'?" He was outright bragging by this point. "I mean, I myself wouldn't mind being Pharaoh in all, but I'd settl' for right hand."

Hearing such talk made Seto scoffed, "The only thing you'd be good for is servantry, Wheeler, but don't delude yourself there either. I wouldn't even have you in my court."

This further infuriated the blonde dork, much to his amusement. "Why I oughta-"

"We are here."

A dusty, stone-laid stairwell led to a shadowed cavern beneath, built into the middle of a sandstone plateau that ascended far above them. It looked like any other tomb in the Valley of the Kings. They'd gone past several in the recent minutes and he compared them. Seto was unimpressed. "It doesn't look like much."

Ishizu was getting out of the Jeep. "Unlike Pharaoh Atem, whose destiny meant surviving into the present, Pharaoh Seto didn't have secrets to be kept hidden from all of humanity. His tomb was built with less stress in mind, that being said-"

"Hahahaha, hear that Kaiba!" Wheeler taunted, evidently finding this information hilarious. "You didn't get as much attention as compared to our great Yami over here. I guess you just weren't important enough." Said man was ready to say something, but Wheeler continued, "I mean, you didn't save the world from an evil overlord hell bent on destroying the world."

Seto was quiet for a moment, glaring the idiot down until he redirected his gaze to Yami. "Give me my Rod." Under his breath, he added, "I always wondered how I could get rid of this brat. The shadow realm would suffice."

Beside him, Mokuba's eyes widened. "Uh, Bro, that's not something to joke about."

"Did you think I was joking?"

Now Mokuba was frantic. "Yami, I would seriously advise against giving it to him now, for obvious reasons." He gestured to the two, grimacing.

Luckily Yami understood. "Kaiba," he called, smiling slightly. "You were the one who declined membership into the Millennium Court. Wait a little longer, and I may accept you in again."

Seto was not pleased by this comment, but didn't deign to entertain the argument any longer. He shot Wheeler one last glare before turning to Ishizu. "Just lead the way." Kisara was waiting.

She nodded. "Marik, accompany me." When the white-haired duelist was only a few feet in front of them, descending the staircase, Ishizu said, "As I was saying before, while Pharaoh Seto's tomb wasn't quite as elaborate as Atem's, it's been kept in excellent condition, practically untouched until recent years. I myself have only been in here on three occasions, and every time it's still a bit intriguing to me. It's as if a presence has been watching over the tomb since Ancient times, preserving it better than any other tomb I've ever laid eyes on."

Seto didn't say a word, but the unanswered name hung between them, known.

Kisara.

It didn't surprise him, but it should have. She'd been watching over him like a guardian angel since she'd died. As the Blue Eyes White Dragon, she'd helped him overcome almost every obstacle he'd ever faced, even when she hadn't been in his deck. The days that Gozaburo had run him into the ground with exhaustion, he'd dreamed about that card, dreamed about having a Blue Eyes for himself. Little had he known at the time, that he'd been unconsciously searching for his long lost love interest.

When had his obsession began? Honestly, he didn't remember. It was as if the desire had been bestowed in his very blood, into the very cords of his DNA. Nothing had ever called to him like the Blue Eyes White Dragon had, nothing. Nothing compared to it. Not Obelisk, not the Egyptian Gods, not anything. As obsessed and driven as he had been to obtain the Egyptian God Cards, in the depths of his heart, he knew that nothing would change when it came to his dragons. In his duel against Ishizu in Battle City, his Blue Eyes had saved him and Obelisk had nearly been his downfall. He realized that now. All the myth and the magic and the past, it was all there, and he believed it.

He believed in the supernatural world.

"Sister, is something wrong?"

Seto stopped. He'd walked past Ishizu unthinkingly, and when he glanced back at her, her eyes were glowing a vivid gold. So this was what transpired when the Necklace did its work. Interesting. Then she blinked, inhaling a sharp breath as reality took hold.

Yami was nearest her, having trailed behind them during their trek downward. "What did you see?"

"Four-Headed Dragon," she whispered, barely audible, but Seto heard it.

"What dragon?" he snapped. Four-Headed? What Duel Monster had ever had four heads? None that he knew of. Five maybe, with the Big Five and their beast, three perhaps with his own Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, but four? Impossible.

Ishizu was smiling, a little out of breath. "I apologize, it was merely a symbol. I know not what it means as of yet, but with more visions, perhaps I can discern the meaning. As far as I can tell, it's harmless, nothing of importance."

On another day, Seto would've been unconvinced at her attempts to dissuade them, but they had more important things to attend to for now. Kisara was his number one priority. Everything else paled in comparison-other than Mokuba's safety, of course, but that was a different story. "Then hurry up, Ishizu, you do realize I came here for a purpose."

She straightened. "Of course, Kaiba. We're almost there, actually."

She straightened. "Of course, Kaiba. We're almost there, actually."

Alexis gave him a small shove, moving past him. "Be nicer, will you?" she hissed. "She's doing this of her own free will, remember?"

Seto didn't respond, but scowled all the same. Then they finally hit the bottom chamber of Pharaoh Seto's' tomb. Sand was sprawled everywhere at their feet, coming up in small puffs where their footsteps tread. The chamber was actually quite grand, and it exceeded his expectations. About half the size of a basketball court, columns with intricate hieroglyphs and brightly painted symbols decorated the tomb. Large tablets scattered with sand, stood valiantly in rows, the very first being the one he'd been searching for, and just before it, were two sarcophagi. One was etched in ancient gold with a harsh mask, while the other was smaller and carved by wood, and they'd been placed side by side. He knew who resided in both.

He'd remembered in his past life, he'd refused to marry, let alone sire any heirs to take his place. The memory of Kisara had always been too fresh, and even now, five-thousand years later, he would never consider anyone else in the same light. No one compared. Even as Pharaoh, when he could've had any woman he wanted. Even as CEO of the most powerful company in the world. No. One. Compared. It was that simple.

His fists curled.

While some preferred to scan the walls for the pictures, Seto found himself standing before her resting place, smoothing a hand over the surface of the old wood. Images of her flashed by his vision, from her smile to the more recent memories during his duels. He looked at the Blue Eyes White Dragon's tablet, carefully inspecting every couture, every angle. With a sigh, he knew that the tablet didn't give her the justice she deserved. So much was lost, but then again, he also had everything to gain.

"Hmm." Pegasus had walked up next to him. "You know, Kaiba-boy, I'm sorry to say that I don't know the exact spot where the Millennium Spellbook is placed. Last time I checked, it was beside this tablet." He gestured to the Blue Eyes. "But it's not there anymore."

Seto used his better judgement and turned around. Ishizu caught his eye from near the stairwell and came over. "Where did you put the Spellbook?" he demanded.

She blinked. "It should be right here." She'd gone beside the tablet, checking the surrounding area, before going through the archive of tablets behind it. She found nothing. "It's not around here anywhere." Worried, she bit her lower lip. She was about to call to Marik, but suddenly Jaden was there, grinning.

"Maybe I can help?" he asked. "I am actually good a few things, you know." The boy was cheeky, and Seto narrowed his eyes. "I do kinda specialize in finding things."

"Then find it."

Still grinning like an idiot, he saluted Seto with a 'Yes, sir'. He held up the Millennium Ring. Instantly, it glowed, pincers aiming straight at the Blue Eyes' tablet, jingling with ancient magic.

At first, the boy was confused, but then he smiled, obviously knowing something no one else did. Winding his way around the sarcophagi like Ishizu had, he faced the tablet. "Hey, Kisara," he greeted softly. Seto's lips thinned. Five years ago he would've called Jaden an idiot and just kept searching by foot, but things were different. He'd believe Jaden's story so long as his ability worked. "I kinda realize that you're like _inside_ the tablet in all, but I bet Kaiba here would really appreciate it if you gave us the Spellbook. Actually, I bet you would too, getting to live your life again, and ya know, on your own, again? Oh! Name's Jaden by the way, um, a friend of Kaiba's, and he really wants you back, but to do so, we need the Spellbook—"

A sharp whoosh and a blinding, golden light swept throughout the tomb. Everyone was biting back gasps as wind soared throughout the air with enough force to drive the ones closest to the tablet a few feet back, a small sandstorm flying about. Then, just as it had come, it was gone. Blinking a few times to get the sand from his eyes, Seto opened his eyes to see Jaden Yuki curiously inspecting a worn, violet tome with the Eye of Horus embedded on the cover. He seemed like the only one unaffected by the tempestuous sands.

Noticing the utter silence of the room, he smiled and grinned. Something told Seto that that expression was his default face. "She said that she's been waiting for you, Kaiba, and that you should be able to read what's inside without too much trouble. Here you go."

He handed off the tome to Seto, people swarming about him as he paged through the contents. By the shape of the pages, the spellbook did look _ancient_ and the inscriptions inside were just so. The writing was a weird version of hieroglyphs, none that he'd ever seen in this life, but in his past one. Then he remembered, only one other thing had ever been written in such a fashion: the call to release the Winged Dragon of Ra.

Then suddenly, on some random page, the inscriptions began to glow a powerful gold. A few gasped at the display, but he was too busy trying to read to really care.

 _The seven chosen of a Millennia's few,_

 _A greatness of power that forever grew,_

 _All knowing Pharaoh's knew,_

 _By one together they made true,_

 _Enter the realm of spirits and one may rue,_

 _By magic's word the gate shall ensue,_

 _Only then will the souls of lost become anew…_

The realm of _spirits_? _Again_? He'd gone there to retrieve Critias once, back when Dartz had threatened to destroy all of humanity. The Dominion of Dragons. It made sense that Kisara would be there.

Yami snapped him to attention. "If this text is correct," he began, lifting a brow. "Then that would mean that while the six wielders open the gate to the spirit realm, one may enter to retrieve the spirits of lost."

"But it doesn't explain _how to get there_ ," Seto bit out. Not a second later, the pages of the Millennium Spellbook began flipping through without his consent, landing somewhere near the end. Similar glowing scrawls lit up the page.

He heard Pegasus coo in glee beside him, but Seto ignored him, reading.

 _Think of the one you desire,_

 _A Millennium child is not a liar,_

 _By the Items of old, release the feeling of dire,_

 _Walk the plane of kindling ire,_

 _Stretch through the night of unending fire,_

 _The spirits await in an astral accord, where they retire…_

Seto was really starting to remember why he hated poetry. It was always figurative, never _litteral_. He wanted fact, not fancy. It just wasn't his way to confine himself in fairytales and mystical magics, even if he seemed to live in one. But that didn't mean he particularly _enjoyed_ it. He wanted some science and statistics in a world that seemed to _thrive_ on the supernatural. He may believe in it all, and he may be using some supernatural reserve to revive Kisara-he was damn well aware of that-but he was wholly disinterested in anything else.

That said, Seto understood its meaning. They had to think of Kisara, presumably with the Millennium Items in hand, and he-being the one to go to the spirit world-would supposedly 'release' his feelings of 'dire', pertaining to his desire to get her back and his soul-as he surmised-would go through to the spirit world while others created the gate from this world to the next while they also thought of Kisara in a similar, yet different way from his own. What Seto didn't understand however, was how grabbing her soul simultaneously meant she'd gain a _physical_ body. Then he waved that thought away. He'd figure out the science to this madness later.

Yami was reading it off the two poems for everyone, but when he finished, Seto slammed the tome closed, ready. "You brought the Items, didn't you?"

His fixed Seto with a look. "Everyone is wearing them, Kaiba. Surely, you've noticed? The only two who aren't are yourself and Kisara, the latter of whom is currently trapped inside a tablet, as you well know."

No, he _hadn't_ noticed. He'd been far too concerned about his preparations and this journey to give a damn about appearances. "And here I thought you were still considering me as a possible _candidate_ ," Seto reminded him, not happy.

Though Seto had no idea where it came from, Yami slammed the Millennium Rod into his chest hard enough to bruise, but he refused to flinch. Instead, he settled for an arrogant sheer. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alexis frown at his behavior and crossed her arms. He lessened his sheer and let his expressions fade, reverting to an intense blankness.

Then he felt it. It was a power from beyond this world, from an immortal one where Gods reigned and mortals wielded them with unsettling suave. The might of the ancients and the items they carried. He hadn't felt this way in over five-thousand years. He felt connected to something, to darkness and light, to a world where the supernatural thrived, and he _liked_ it. He would not deny it, he _liked_ this power.

The Millennium Rod. An item to seal the souls of people into tablets and control the minds of others. He remembered Marik's tyrad when he'd been the Rod's owner, entrapping others in the shades of the shadow realm, and forcing those to do his bidding against their will. But Seto wasn't worried about his future actions with this item. He already had all the power in the world-mostly. That being said, he was officially a member of the Millennium Court, not the he liked _that_ part, of course, but a member nonetheless.

He forced himself to focus, the grip on the Rod tightening. "Let's begin."

.

Since Kisara was without a physical body, they'd inquired if Jaden knew what to do, seeing as how he was the only one capable of speaking with monster spirits. After a pause, he simply stated that if they placed the Millennium Scale on the Blue Eyes' tablet, it should work. And after a small gleam from the Item, they knew they could do this.

The others stood behind them, wary of the possible damages and prepared to evacuate in case of emergency since Yami and Seto hadn't been able to convince them that they should return to the surface.

With the entirety of the Millennium Court at the ready, they each held their Items in the air, _feeling_ the forces of five thousand years at their disposal and each called to Kisara in their minds, eyes closed in concentration. Unbeknownst to them, every Item glowed with supernatural light, illuminating the room in an even brighter hue.

In Seto's mind, he called to Kisara with such arden, raw emotion that the magic seemed to crackle around him, sparking with volts of electricity-White Lightning. He _wanted_ her back, tangible and real and there. The magic knew how strong his emotions were, and the magic responded, just like the inscriptions had described.

With a jolt, Seto opened his eyes, but found himself staring back at himself, eyes closed. Then behind him, a door revealed itself midair opening with a resounding creek that led off to a plane of shadow. Seto gulped, but there was nothing there.

He was a spirit. The Millennium Items had taken his soul from his body. His _spirit_ was staring at his _body_.

He really wanted to know how the hell this was scientifically _possible_ , but with the spell working, he had more important things to do. So he turned back around, and with only a glance back, he let the shadows swallow him whole.

Kisara was worth his sanity.

Slowly, the world around him changed. He was standing on the edges of a stone stairway leading to a landscape of clouds. The night sky was picturesque above him, brilliant winking stars lighting up the air in a myriad of colors, and the moon gleamed a silver so metallic that he wondered if it was actually metal. Everything was vivid in hue, even the clouds, tinged with tints from a rainbow. In the distance, far, far off into the distance, a lone castle was encompassed by clouds and was white as can be. Behind him, the edges of the clouds were near a drop off of a scarlet-tinged sky and the same door lay there, waiting to be reopened. Clearly time didn't matter in this section of the spirit world if night and day were happening concurrently.

But this didn't look like the Dominion of Dragons, he thought sourly.

Perhaps it was Kisara's own personal manifestation, set apart from the other Duel Monster spirits? He didn't know.

She wasn't anywhere in sight either.

He neared the edge of the drop-off, his feet moving on the clouds without falling through. To Seto, it felt like walking on cotton-balls. It was odd and uncomfortable.

Out below him, a familiar shoreline was graced with an aquamarine ocean that stretched on into eternity. He smelt the salt in the air, felt the wind on his face. On occasions, this was the scene where he met Kisara amid his dreams. The ones that had made him despise oceans and beaches and his island escapade because he longed for her. Bittersweet didn't cut it.

There was a bitter taste in his mouth.

Then he saw her.

And…

He fell off the edge.

Seto lost his breath as he spiraled downward, grasping at nothing but hoping for something that wouldn't be there anyways. His eyes were wide, panicked, and he heard her gasp, "Seto?!"

The ground was fast approaching at this point, but then he stopped. It was an abrupt loss in speed, but he remained midair, immobile. He couldn't move. Then he could again, and Seto knew really _hated_ magic. It managed to make him a legendary priest while also making him look _like an idiot_.

Almost painstakingly slow, he descended to the ground. The wet sand made his shoes leave impressions where he stepped and before he could try, Kisara was embracing him. She sighed into his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her without thought. "You made it," she breathed shakily. "You made it, Seto! I… I always knew you could."

He allowed himself to relax for a moment, his hands drawing through her sleek locks. He breathed, and counted the seconds before he would have to be strategic and intelligent, knowing that they would a time limit here. After about a minute and a half, Seto pulled away slightly.

Kisara spoke before he could, "Seto, the spell will only last so long as everyone can sustain it. We need to find the exit if we don't want to get trapped here. I can already feel this world deteriorating as my soul connects to the regular world again. We don't have much time."

As if on cue, the ground rumbled and the sun sank lower into the sky.

He didn't question her. "The door is up there." He pointed to the clouds above them.

For some reason, Kisara smiled. "Oh, that won't be much of an issue." She held her hand out to him and he took it without argument. They ascended, flying through the dusk at a relatively leisure pace, but fast enough to gain altitude while the sun remained on the ocean's horizon. Something told him that it was their stop-watch. Flying, he thought as they soared, was a befitting quality for the holder of the Blue Eyes White Dragon. Upon reaching the cloudscape edge, it quacked beneath them, the world beginning to fall into oblivion. In the distance, he saw the castle wasn't there anymore, only blackness, and it was creeping up on them. Fast.

Seto ran with Kisara in hand, taking the stone-stairwell two at a time, before flinging it open. He saw the Millennium Court straining to stand, pain etched on their faces as they held on by cinders, but still standing. A glance back told him that they were going to be lost if his soul didn't return to his body. He stared at Kisara, a silent conversation going on and she nodded resolutely.

Seto lept from his spot in the doorway and towards his actual self, landing with enough momentum to nearly make his physical body fall backward, but he regained his balance quickly, still seeing the doorway and Kisara as the world beyond turned black.

Then a current-like vortex began to suck Kisara backwards into the realm of spirits, or perhaps, shadow. Not that he would let it. He'd gone too far to let it all turn to dust in his hands. Strapping the Rod onto his belt, he reached for her, but the current was strong and she was still only a spirit. He bit out curses as he managed to grab her wrists, but she was only half tangible, still transparent in this physical world. He felt her, but it wasn't what it should have been.

"Seto!" she cried frantically, holding her hands out to him as the spirit realm tried to take her away. "Seto!" The currents were pulling her in.

"No, no, no!" he growled, fighting back with everything he had. She would be real, she had to be, she _would_ be. Nothing would take her away, not again. Not in this lifetime.

Then the rest of the Millennium Court was at his side, each grabbing hold of Kisara as they pulled her into reality. They were fighting an immortal world, but they wouldn't let it win. They had the power to defeat whatever went their way, together. That was what the Millennium Court was, and the spellbook said it too: _By one together they made true._ True they were, combined, nothing could combat them.

The vortex to the spirit realm disappeared in the blink of an eye and they all fell backward. Seto would never forget the pure, unadulterated happiness the radiated off of Kisara as time seemed to slow, and as they all fell to the sands of Pharaoh Seto's tomb together, in a heap.

.

.

.

 **White Knight**

 **Author's Note:**

 _This entire chapter was just so… Cringe-worthy, and not to mention_ _short_ _. Ugh, I just want to slam my head into a wall and scream about how bad it is. And my poetry is quite horrid, I'm aware. Feel free to criticize to your heart's content, I deserve it… Though, I can assure you all, the next chapter will be MUCH better, with Kisara back to life, she has some problems ahead that need to be dealt with before Seto returns to KaibaCorp again-specifically health issues, not being used to the modern world, and let's just say that Seto goes a little overboard... He's just really_ _concerned_ _? Not obsessed at all. *Smirks_

 _Also since obviously English didn't even exist back in Ancient Egypt, Kisara will have an ability to render this problem completely indifferent~! I bet you can guess, dear readers?_

 _Inform me of errors please._

 _And review, lovely readers! Constructive criticism is happily read by yours truly._

 _Have a lovely day~!_

 _-CassandraRoyal_


	3. Bless the Broken Road

**Official** _ **White Knight**_ **Summary:**

Five years have passed since Yami's victory over Yugi in the Ceremonial Duel, and five years have passed since Seto Kaiba placed himself in seclusion on a hideaway location that only five people in the whole world know about. Retiring from Duel Monsters and allowing his assistant to take over KaibaCorp in his absence, Seto thinks in solitude, pondering over his past, and plagued by dreams about the one known as 'Kisara'. Then one day, Yami appears before him, returning his deck to him and simply says, "It's time." Abruptly brought back into the world, Seto is told that Yami is attempting to bring back the Millennium Court in preparation for a possible new threat. However, he also mentions that it might be possible to bring Kisara back once again, and even with just a chance, Seto's willing to put everything on the line to do it. _Blueshipping_

.

 **White Knight**

 **Chapter Three**

 **Bless the Broken Road**

.

 _I think about the years I spent, just passing through,_

 _I'd like to have the time I lost, and give it back to you,_

 _But you just smile and take my hand,_

 _You've been there, you understand,_

 _It's all part of a grander plan, that is coming true..._

-Rascal Flatts, _Bless the Broken Road_ lyrics

.

This girl. Despite how moronic it was, he couldn't stop repeating, _She's here, she's_ _real_ _._ Unconscious in his arms, Kisara was lightweight and peaceful, head resting on his shoulder. Her breathing was calm and he marveled at the reality of it. Tangibility beat dreams any day. Her hair was scattered into disarray with baby blue strands that fell to the ground in a pool. Dirt dusted her porcelain cheeks, and small scratches marred her skin. She was still adorned in the same rag of a dress as he saw in the Memory World, and he was sure to burn it the moment they got home-

Seto's mind did a 360.

Home.

What _happened_ now?

Did he return to the world as CEO of KaibaCorp just like that? No, no, it was too soon. Kisara would have to-What was he going to do with her? What would people think when Seto Kaiba came back and there was a girl with him that hadn't existed in this time-period until five minutes ago?

Thankfully, Mokuba came crashing over. A look of shocked awe swept across his features when he saw Kisara. "Whoa! Seto!" Mokuba breathed. "She's… She's…"

His brother's admiration was enough to drag a little possessiveness to intervene from his usually calculative thoughts. "Mine," he growled, unable to stop himself.

"Gorgeous!" Mokuba ended, obviously not hearing his elder brother's declaration. "You sure know how to pick em', bro! Like holy cow." Seto glanced down to the girl in his arms, not responding.

Sprawled out on the ground somewhere, Jaden Yuki was grinning. "Well, that was fun," he commented lightly. He shot himself to his feet. "What's next on our agenda as an official Court, Yami?"

Said man was ruffling the sand from his hair. "For now, we wait."

"Wait? Wait for what?"

"Kisara needs to awaken before we can continue, and when the day comes, we fight whatever lies in our way. Until then, I believe rest is in order."

The other three members were looking a little worse for wear in their current state, clutching their heads and breathing heavily. Solomon Muto was probably the most exhausted from their impromptu rescue mission, only half awake and bleary-eyed. Pegasus was second in line, groaning. Apparently, age increased the stress of magic.

"As much as I dislike agreeing with you, I second that," Seto told him. He felt the warning signs of a migraine coming on, the familiar pounings reminding him of times long since past. He was tired, but he a lot of thinking to do yet. He was sure that this would be another one of his sleepless nights, but he was fine with it. He'd done what needed to be done, and the results were gratifying. The woman in his arms more than compensated for whatever happened next. For all he cared, the media could find about his return and maul the front gates of his manor.

"Uh, Seto, we should probably take those two to the hospital," Mokuba mentioned worriedly, pointing to the two older men of the Millennium Court who were almost passed out. Seto was about to simply say that they were going to be fine, but then his brother added, "Same with Kisara too, I mean, she's the only one that's actually unconscious, and we don't really know how she'll fare in the modern world since she lived what, five-thousand years ago? Not that I want her to be a test subject or anything, but we'll probably need her to get a medical exam."

That was true. Luckily, he'd brought his personal medic team along with several of his private security. They'd be able to handle that portion without issue. "Call Roland, and tell the medical team on the plane to be prepared. We leave immediately."

Mokuba was floored. "But Seto! Barely anyone can even stand up!"

"We can't stay here."

"But Seto-"

"We can manage," Yami reasoned, weary, but stable. "I'm sure everyone is keen to help as it is." As he said so, Tristan was picking up Mr. Muto, while Tea and Joey managed to get Pegasus into a relatively awkward position between them, face down and groaning. Alexis was beside Jaden, who was tired, but willing to hike it up the stairwell before anyone else. That left Marik to Ishizu who was reluctantly allowing her brother to give her his shoulder for support. Then there was Yami and himself who didn't require assistance, while Yugi trailed quietly beside Yami, inquiring if he was, in fact, alright. Seto was the last to reach the stairwell, glancing at the Blue Eyes White Dragon tablet once more before departing. Mokuba had grabbed Kisara's Millennium Scale a moment ago, and placed it in her lap as he held her like a bride. His brother then called Roland as they begrudgingly ascended and Yami had briefly requested if he could take the Millennium Spellbook with him. Ishizu had complied without qualm.

The walk was slow, but Seto didn't mind. It forced him into really believing that Kisara was real, in the flesh, and tangible. _Screw metaphysical illusions_ , he thought snidely, _she's real_.

Using the Jeep to ride through the desert was not the most comfortable thing he'd experienced, especially when half of the people inside were all but dead to the world around them. Muttered curses and annoyed moans filtered throughout the Jeep as they went through bumps, but eventually they made it to the airport and towards his own private jet.

The medical team was quick to work, hauling Pegasus, Mr. Muto, and Kisara onto stretchers while the rest were brought to the medical wing by foot. The doctors aboard made easy work of both Pegasus and Mr. Muto, whereas they took their time with Kisara-by Seto's request-since she'd be having much more extensive work, and he wanted all the doctors to be there to assist in whatever tests they would be executing. With the two elder males members of the Court out like lights in the resting bay, and all the others sleeping on the upper deck of the plane, his entire personal medical team was ready to work specifically on Kisara.

"And what happened to her?" the leading doctor inquired.

Seto decided to just make _that_ answer simple. "The same thing as everyone else, exhaustion. However, I want her to be thoroughly examined, blood samples, MRIs, the works. Every type of test you can think of, I want done. She's never had any medication in her life, and has never had injections before. I'm unaware of her medical history either." Other than her death… Seto swallowed. He would _not_ go there. "You have as much time as you require, and all paperwork goes directly to me, no one else. Discretion is mandatory, and nothing from this room ever leaves this room, understood?"

They understood, and they made haste.

The hours flew by as Seto drearily watched the proceedings from the corners, staying not only to observe, but to make the necessary calls that the staff were uncertain of, specifically injections. He allowed whatever they found necessary for an eighteen-year-old girl to have in such a short timeframe and agreed to most everything. When they placed her under the MRI machine, one nurse asked if there was any chance of pregnancy, to which he answered with a biting _no_.

When the major tests were taken care of, he called Roland for a computer. Kisara would require personal necessities that only the CEO of KaibaCorp could help create and/or forge. Without a birth certificate, or any type of identification to define her, there would be trouble, especially for those who were trying to dig up information about Seto Kaiba's… Girlfriend. Yes, that was it. There were always the cyber hackers who managed to break into his personal files for random things, and without anything about her, people would question, and he would not put Kisara in the line of fire. As an addition, he included a credit card for any future purchases that she had that led directly into his cash reserve at the bank. So long as she didn't buy an island off the coast of Australia, he wasn't particularly concerned about losing money.

After about eight hours into both the flight and the tests, he got the results. "She'll awaken anywhere between twelve to twenty four hours from now, the exhaustion really wiped her out, but it's nothing to be worried over. We've given her basic injections which she'll have to continue with in the passing months, it'll help her immune system. It's possible to contract any of the following illnesses on the sheets we'll hand out, but it's highly unlikely. As it stands, her heart, lungs, and organs are perfectly normal, perfectly healthy. Her blood-pressure, blood tests, were also perfectly normal, healthy-We'll give you the exact papers once they've been printed off. Her bones are normal as well."

"She stands at five foot four inches exactly and weighs a mere hundred-three pounds, which connects to the next thing. What's troubling is that her muscles are extremely weak. If she attempted to stand the moment she woke up, she would not be able to do so without help. Her muscles have deteriorated, but not by any disease or infection known by any databases around the world. Instead, it seems to be caused by disuse. Nothing else would fit that we are aware of. She'll need a personal trainer for a few months in order to return to a normal lifestyle, but otherwise, she'll be perfectly normal, unless you would also like us to check her mental health once she wakes up?"

Seto waved his hand. "That won't be necessary, Doctor. You may retire, along with your staff." The team shuffled out of the area, the majority heading to the nearest bedroom to rest.

When they were gone, he took a seat by Kisara's bedside, the casual beeps from the heart-monitor smooth and steady. She was peaceful there, unmoving other than the rise and fall of her chest. Content in the silence, Seto went back to work on Kisara's credentials, undisturbed, until a few hours later when Alexis appeared in the doorway, a small smile on her face. "Hey," she greeted, softly. "You called for me?"

He had. With Kisara back and his head in the right place again, he'd realized some very important things that he really _didn't_ want in his head. Nevertheless, he was… Concerned. "I did, however I didn't want to bother you until morning." He'd sent her a text only a minutes ago, but he hadn't expected her to arrive until a few hours later.

Sure enough, she leaned against the outline of the door, still dressed in pajamas and nightwear. Well, it was early morning in Domino City, where everyone's internal clocks were set to. "It's alright." She shrugged. "I couldn't sleep anyway. Do you need something from me?"

"Not especially," he responded, truthfully.

She rolled her eyes, smiling still. "Alright, do you _want_ something from me, Seto?"

He managed a small smirk. "Yes."

"What is it?"

The smirk vanished, and he was a little unsure how to go about this. How did one explain something like this? He cleared his throat, staring at his screen. "As you know, Kisara has never experienced life in the modern world, nor its basic utilities. I was hoping that you'd help her understand the things that I can't."

The meaning was obvious, and Seto was uncomfortable with it.

He heard Alexis laugh, walking further into the room. "Of course, I'll help her," she assured him, and Seto let out a mental sigh of relief. "How could I not help the one girl that my brother-figure has fallen for? I'm sure the rest of the girls will be happy to help too." When he didn't respond, she continued in a quieter tone, "She must really be something if you were willing to enter the spirit realm for her."

In the silence of the room, and in the dimness of the night, Seto sighed aloud, "She is."

"Then it was all worth the while." He couldn't deny that.

.

Time went and passed and they were finally settled into the Kaiba Manor, the rest of the Court off to their own residences other than Alexis, who'd be in and out until Kisara woke up. Only a personal trainer and a nurse stayed in their house as it was, since Kisara's condition was pretty much normal. It was about four in the morning when he'd sent the nurse away. They'd forgone the heart-monitor and any other unneccessary provisions, leaving only the IV case and stand.

Since it was still early, the Manor was quiet and dark. Only a few dimmed chandeliers in the halls were lit up at this hour. Mokuba was already fast asleep in his room, and Seto would admit he was incredibly exhausted by this point. He hadn't slept since the flight _to_ Egypt, and that had only been a few restless hours at best. He rubbed at the tear-troughs by his nose, the growing weight of a sleepless night, before heading off to a shower.

He spent the minutes in relative darkness save for the lone night-light that he didn't remember putting there. His thoughts were mostly muted, unimaginative, and sleep-orientated. Once clean of all the dust and grime of the desert, he changed into a simple black turtle-neck and long pants. His hair was still wet when he made it back to Kisara's room-The room closest to his own. She lay there still, her petite stature barely covering half the length of the bed, and Seto sighed into the shadows.

"What am I even doing here?" he whispered, but he was too tired to argue with himself. He didn't want to leave, and that was that.

He sat himself in a chair next to her, just watching the intake and release of breath from her lips. Seto was resigned, feeling the most calm he'd been in five years. Curiously, he found the hand with the IV attached to it, apathetic to the equipment. It was small in his pair, and surprisingly uncalloused for the years as a slave in Ancient Egypt. In fact, they were smooth and unmarred, the ideal hue of pigmentation.

What was going to happened next? His thoughts were betraying him. He didn't want to think about it now. He would in the morning, when the sun was in the sky and Kisara was awake. Then would he consider his options.

In the meantime, he held onto that hand and leaned over the edge of the bed, relaxing into the mattress that he was using as a pillow.

Blue dreams descended upon him.

.

Kisara felt… Odd. The ground beneath her was soft, cushiony, warm, and well, what she imagined the inside of a cloud would feel like. While one 'cloud' rested below her neck and head, her entire body was covered with… Fabric? Practically silk with how smooth it felt on her fingertips. Blearily, she forced her eyelids open, the bright world around her slowly coming into focus as she blinked the crust away. Above her, the ceiling was unfamiliar, and so was the room she was in. To her, everything looked strange, alien even, as if she'd stepped into another world.

The only thing that kept her from further examining her surroundings was the sudden grip on her hand, the warm, comforting grip on her hand. She knew that grip, she realized with a start, she knew those hands. Those calloused, yet glorious hands were entwined with one of her own.

Seto was at her bedside.

Then she remembered. She'd been invading his dreams for years, transporting his soul into the spirit realm just to see him. Recently, she'd begged him to bring her into his world, and he'd done it.

He'd done it…

Tears of unprecedented joy flooded her vision, and a wave of love for him collided with her heart. _He'd done it_. She wanted to laugh until she cried every single tear imaginable. He'd done it! Her chest was constricted with emotions as she blinked away her tears, smiling through it all.

He wasn't facing her, she saw after a moment, and his auburn bangs were disheveled. She giggled slightly. Seto never let a single strand fall from alignment so long as she'd known him, in this life, and in the last. No one saw him like this. She smiled, and turned over onto her side. Her other hand slowly wove through the strands at the base of his neck, careful not to rouse him. She hummed to herself, serene, and left the minutes drift away. After while, she let tiredness take over and she drifted into a light slumber once more, willing to fall.

.

It was eleven in the morning when Seto awoke, and not by his own accord.

"Pst! Seto!"

He lifted his head, irate. "What is it?"

"Get over here!" Mokuba was in a crack in the door, eagerly waving him over.

He shot a glance at Kisara, who'd turned over in the middle of the night but was otherwise the same. He'd come back later.

"What?" he demanded, the two of them alone in the demure hallway.

"We have a problem," Mokuba said, cautiously.

"What kind of problem?"

His brother was being sheepish, scratching his ear like a nervous cat that had been caught wrecking the house. "Well it's just… Umm…"

Seto was not pleased. "Spit it out."

Without any further attempts to stall himself, Mokuba flashed a computer out of no where, holding it in front of his face for Seto to read. Impassively, he did. A picture of the Millennium Court leaving the Valley of the Kings via private jet was enlarged across the screen, and a news article was written beneath, going on about how 'Seto Kaiba has returned from a five-year hiatus' and with some very famous company alongside him. Thankfully, any signs of the collapsed Pegasus, Mr. Muto, and Kisara were no where to be seen. The article mostly circulated about him being around the Dweeb crew with the addition of Alexis, Jaden, Ishizu, and Marik, who were celebrity-status duelists.

"That's not all either, Seto!" Mokuba exclaimed. "It's all over the news that you're back! It's on every news-station in the country! It's on every headline too! I don't know how the secret got out, but I swear I'll find the culprit for you."

He crossed his arms and leaned against the back of Kisara's door. "It's fine," Seto told him, scowling. "Don't bother, it won't solve anything. Now, we just need to plan."

"Plan what?"

The Millennium Rod glinted on his side. He hadn't even realized he'd put it there, but it didn't matter. The thing was apart of him now.

It also gave him an idea.

He began walking to his study. "A Duel Monster's tournament."

Mokuba started. "You wanna host a tournament? Why?"

He didn't pause at the door. "What better way for the CEO of Kaiba Corporations to officially return than to create the single greatest Duel Monsters tournament that's ever been?" Already, the conceptions for such a concept were formulating, sudden inspiration and ideas pushing him forward.

"Well, that's fine by me, but what about the press? What should we do about them?"

"Leave them be, let them talk, it doesn't matter."

"Well, what am I supposed to say to them—"

"You say nothing, and work like normal. Nothing changes until I say it does."

Mokuba sat himself down in front of Seto's desk. "Alright, but do we have an approximated time here? Everyone knows about you being back, how much time will it take to 'officially return' as you say?"

With the new idea and Kisara supposedly unable to physically stand on her own two feet, he considered it. Finally he said, "Two months from day."

"That'll be fine, I guess," Mokuba agreed, reluctantly. "Without any new projects going on right now, I'm not too busy." He shook his head. "Anyway, why will this be the single greatest tournament in the history of Duel Monsters, again?"

Seto smirked with all the arrogance a CEO should.

.

Alexis been the first one to find out that Seto's return had made national news. She'd merely walked into the living room and clicked the TV on, to be met with a live broadcast that headlined: _KaibaCorp's Seto Kaiba Has Returned Five Years Later_. She'd dropped the remote in her shock, but Mokuba's surprise had been far worse. Being Saturday, he'd been off work and had groggily stepped up behind her only to gasp in horror. He'd rushed up to meet with his brother, snatching a computer up and searching through the web all while running up the stairs. Alexis had been the one to watch the broadcast, before making her way up to talk to the Kaiba brothers herself, only to see that the two were in a very in-depth conversation that she didn't want to disturb.

So, she did the one thing she could do.

She went to check on Kisara.

The doed-eyed blunette was sitting herself up in bed, and Alexis stopped dead in her tracks. Seto would want to see her first, perhaps resolve and reveal whatever questions she had, but first she went down to track the nurse, telling her not to speak to Kisara and remove the IV from her arm. Once that was done, she knocked on the door leading to Seto's study. She heard a simple 'Enter' from the other side and made sure to close it shut behind her.

"Alexis," Seto greeted. "What is it?"

She smiled and placed her hands on her hips. "I thought you might want to know that Kisara's awake."

He stood from his desk. "She is?"

Alexis nodded and smiled, happy that Seto was actually looking quite _alive_. "Yep. Just saw her myself. I figured you'd want the first opportunity to talk to her."

Seto cast his gaze to Mokuba. "I'll be back to continue with this in a few hours."

Mokuba waved him off with a grin. "Just go see her, will you? You went to the spirit world and back to get her, _just go_."

Seto didn't need any more incentive to leave, and walked through the halls with almost preternatural quickness. He vaguely heard a few chuckles, more than likely aimed at his expense, but he didn't bother to reprimand them. He was preoccupied.

He stopped a moment before entering, questioning his uncharacteristic hesitancy. What was he going to say to her? What was she aware of? What didn't she know? What _did_ she know? His hand tightened around the knob. They would get there, he reminded himself. In this era, they actually had the time to understand each other, to be with one another. He'd made sure of that.

He shouldn't be hesitating.

So that was where they really saw one another for the first time, awake and alert and utterly alive. With Kisara's smile and Seto's calm demeanor, he closed the door behind him, keeping them locked in a world all their own.

"Seto!" Kisara breathed when he entered. She was smiling with such happiness that it was almost startling. No one looked at him like that, with care and elation. It was due to that, that she very nearly made a mad dash to him had she not struggled to get out of bed. But determined to get to her feet despite it all, Seto rushed to her, aware that she was in an unstable condition.

And once her feet hit the floor, she began to topple over, flailing her arms around in a last ditch attempt to stay upright. Gracelessly, she landed right into Seto, who scooped her up before she could contemplate falling over. He sighed, "You've made me do this twice now, you know."

"Have I?" she asked with genuine curiosity. She smiled apologetically.

"Yes. Leaving Egypt, I had to carry you out." He set her back on the comforters of the mattress, her legs dangling over the edge and sat down beside her. He changed the course of conversation completely, never one to beat around the bush. "But that doesn't matter now," he said, catching her gaze. "What does matter is what you know about your current life."

She straightened, her eyes downcast. She'd been prepared for this. Slowly, she answered, "I know that five-thousand years have past since I was placed within the stone tablet of the Blue Eyes White Dragon. I know that Pharaoh Atem safely rescued the world from Zorc then too, but locked himself away, died presumably… Before… Before-"

"Before Priest Seto took the throne," he finished.

She gave him a quick smile. "Yes, before Priest Seto took the throne. For many years I was locked inside the tablet, and yet I was also his most trusted monster, as I was yours a few years ago. Many thousands of years past before I was awoken again. It was probably… Twelve years ago at this point..?"

Seto's jaw clenched. "The year Maximillion Pegasus brought Duel Monsters into the modern world, and made it a card game."

"Yes. _Duel Monsters_ …" she sounded unsure of the name. "I remember brief flashes of being summoned. I remember facing the Dark Magician Mahad on several occasions, actually. I remember you the most though, Seto," she admitted shyly. "The only person who collected all the Blue Eyes White Dragons into one deck and fused them into my most powerful form. That being said, all the memories are blurred and barely there. In fact, it wasn't until about five years ago that my spirit really awoke. For those seven years previous it was as if I'd been half asleep, there, but dazed. It was like being jolted into reality. The spirit world was much clearer to me after that, I could see and hear the world around me, and understand it." She stopped, thinking. "Did something... _Significant_ happen at that time?" she asked.

He nodded. "But that is far before all of this Egyptian magic started on my end. I'll explain that once you're done."

"Alright, well, since the spirit world became clearer to me, I was able to manipulate the world around me, don't ask me how-I'm still confused about how it works, but I was able to see the spirits of people from this world." She blushed suddenly, and began twiddling with her pointer fingers. "Then I found you, and kinda, intentionally… PulledyouintothespiritrealmfromyourdreamlikestatesoIcouldseeyou!"

Seto was thrown. "You did _what_?" She'd pulled him into the spirit realm while he'd slept? The dots connected. Was _that_ why he'd dreamt about her _every_ _single_ _**day**_ since the Ceremonial Duel?! She'd pulled his soul into the spirit realm? He struggled to maintain his calm, grinding his teeth.

"Oh, I knew I shouldn't have done it!" she fussed, throwing her arms down in frustration. "But after being awoken like that, and unable to sleep again, I couldn't stop myself." Her brows knit together, the fight gone. "What reassured me was that you were so steadfast in your beliefs about the supernatural portion of your life. You'd never believe that I was real, not completely… And I was right, until recently." Their eyes met, blue on blue. "Something changed, and one day, I asked you to bring me back." Her smile was a beautiful heartbreak on her lips. "Which you did…"

Seto was quickly finding out that it would be impossible to hold a grudge against this girl. Whatever anger he'd felt was replaced with resignation and the knowledge of a promising future ahead. A future with light. So what if she'd taken him to the spirit realm? So what if he'd fallen for her amidst dreams? So what if he'd been plagued by nightmares?

None of that mattered anymore.

Seto Kaiba didn't like wallowing in the past to begin with. Why continue chasing after a deceased past life when he'd brought present and past into one timeline? He was done with the past, he'd toiled with it long enough.

He had a whole future ahead.

They both did.

Kisara fell back into the covers, and let out a sleepy yawn. Seto watched her reactions, leaning against one of the four posters that surrounded the bedframe. "That's my story, I believe you know the rest already. Will you tell me yours?"

He humphed, smug. "It's a long one."

Kisara smiled in delight. "I'm not going anywhere."

 _No, you're not,_ he thought soothingly. "In this life, I was born on October twenty-fifth…"

.

A week had gone by and Kisara was amazed by all the information she'd received about the modern world. It started out with Seto recollecting his life to her, explaining various devices that the modern age had that she barely understood. His story was rather astonishing to say the least, apparently he was a 'CEO of a multi-billion dollar company', which most people weren't, and had been a key player in saving the world-on several occasions-along with the reincarnated versions of Pharaoh Atem and Priestess Isis. She didn't quite understand the reincarnation thing at first, but Seto had gone as far to elaborate the world's history within the past five millennia in the course of three hours, and go into detail about the reincarnation process in various mythologies from places she hadn't known existed.

Seeing the globe had shocked her the most though.

The world was round… How strange.

Following her history session, Seto had introduced her to both his little brother Mokuba and his 'sister figure' Alexis. The beautiful woman then shooed the brothers away, and they began a rather awkward conversation about all the womany details that went along with being a girl in this time period. Between the conveniences of bathrooms, shampoos, conditioners, showering, and other private affairs, they had plenty of laughter about how strange it all was between the ancient methods and the modern ones. The two took an instant liking to one another too.

Then began her physical therapy, or 'PT' as Seto had called it. Her 'trainer' gave her plenty of exercises to regain the muscle she'd lost, although Kisara was slightly confused about it. Muscle depletion…? All she knew was that she could barely stand upright. But she went along with it. She figured she'd learn more about that later.

And having a 'week' gone by, Kisara could finally maintain her balance and stay on her feet without falling. Apparently, she'd gained a few 'pounds' of muscle too, which pleased both Seto and her trainer. In the days before, she'd gone through some pretty harsh soreness too.

"The average weight of an eighteen-year-old girl who stands at five-foot-four-inches is around a hundred-twenty pounds," the trainer had told her. "You have about fifteen more pounds to gain at minimum."

Eating helped a lot. Her appetite was much more ravenous than what she remembered, though perhaps staying within a tablet for five-thousand years did that to someone.

Other than her PT and her daily discussions with Alexis, she mostly talked to Seto. History was often their main topic of conversation, and after the second day, he'd brought along a few books for her to read whenever he wasn't around. They ranged from basic sciences to ancient history, and Kisara consumed whatever information she'd read without forgetting a single detail.

So much had changed.

Today, she was reading about the supposedly famous 'Cleopatra' and the downfall of Ancient Rome. They'd already gone through the prehistoric times with only need-to-know detail, seeing as how it didn't really affect her. They'd return to it on another day, Seto had said.

Though, she began to wonder what she would be doing once she was able to walk again, Seto had yet to tell her, but she had a sneaking suspicion that he was as dumbfound as she was when it came to their future. She giggled to herself. It was so unlike him to not think about the future and plan ahead of events, but she didn't mind. They had time.

Amidst her reading, Seto came in. She smiled at him in greeting, and he sat on the edge of her bed. "Good morning," she said.

He nodded. "Morning."

She closed the book she'd been reading. What am I learning today?"

He opened his mouth then closed it, unsure how to proceed. Then he bluntly demanded, "How can you speak English?" This question should've been brought up days ago, but it had finally clicked in his head. The only language Kisara _should_ be able to understand was Ancient Egyptian, and yet here she was, fully capable of reading college-level textbooks without any trouble.

Surprised for only a moment, she giggled in Ancient Egyptian, " _I can speak and read any language_."

" _Any?"_ Like Yami and Yugi, he was fluent in the language of his incarnate.

"Any," she assured him in English. "So long as I can hear it or see it, I understand it. I've always had that gift."

Seto raised a brow, but didn't press it. There was something about a dragon having an affinity for language that made sense. Then he shook his head. Perhaps he was going insane, accepting an odd ability just like that. No question, nor scientific analysis required. He'd go with it, but the voice in the back of his mind was still reeling with theories and futile attempts to dissuade himself into thinking that it was nothing more than Kisara's knowledge. But he knew the truth. It would be scientifically impossible to learn and read a language with only a week's worth of experience, especially since the first day she'd comprehended and answered everything in precise, confident English.

Though he was interested in how far she'd be able to go. If she'd been able to read other languages back in the Ancient world, how many would she be able to decipher in today's society? There were some two thousand languages still in use, and all the other dead languages from around the world that could come in handy. Was her ability so far stretched that she could know every single language known to humankind? Including the ones that historians were baffled by? His calculative mind was leading him somewhere to search. It'd be an entertaining study, indeed.

But he needed to get back to their lesson for the day, if they were going to get anywhere else. And right before he was about to discuss the topic of the day, there was a knock on the door. Irritated, he snapped, "Enter."

Alexis revealed herself in the hall, looking a little sheepish for interrupting. She knew not to disturb them. And try as she might to correct him when he was being an ass, his moments spent with Kisara meant a lot to him. "I'm sorry about the interruption, guys," she said honestly. "But Yami came over, and he wanted to talk with you, Seto."

He'd expected the Pharaoh to show up eventually, but he wasn't particularly happy about it. Kisara was still in the process of regaining her strength, and he had work to do. "Did he tell you why?"

"All he said was that you guys needed to talk, nothing more. He's in your study right now."

"Fine," he muttered, then to Kisara he said, "I'll be back later."

She gave him a kind smile. "I know."

Yami was waiting for him in his study as promised, his back to Seto as he faced a window overlooking the back courtyard of the Kaiba Manor. The sun was high in the sky, and the gardens were flourishing with their usual splendor. Seto was beginning to notice a habit of Yami's, not that it mattered. "Should I be saying 'welcome back', or 'get out of my house right this instant'?" Seto asked upon arrival, clear sarcasm dripping from his tone like snake venom.

Yami glanced at him, smirking. "'Welcome back' would suffice, although I somehow doubt you'd be willing to offer me the common courtesy that others would."

"True enough."

Yami turned to him fully then, clearing his throat. "However, common courtesies are far from the reason as to why I came here today."

Seto frowned at his choice of words. "Please, tell me this isn't about saving the world already."

"No." Yami smiled. "The shadows have been dormant the last week. What I came here for is to check up on Kisara. Everyone is eager to meet her, but knowing you as I do, I came alone for now."

"I suppose you expect me to compensate you for that."

"No, not at all. It's more of a request."

Seto leaned back in his chair. "Fine, but there's something else you should be made aware of, considering you are still holder of the title, 'King of Games'."

Yami was vaguely intrigued. "What is it?"

"Due to my recent 'return' as the press have called it, I've decided to commission a new tournament to be held in Domino City. It's currently a secret that only Mokuba and I know about, but it'll be in the works for the next two months until we release the information out."

"Will it be something akin to the Battle City tournament then?"

Seto smirked. "On the contrary, this tournament will make Battle City look like a playground. It'll be held all over the globe, and anyone is allowed to participate from youth to elderly, from animateur to professional. It'll begin in every country, starting off with random duels selected by the KaibaCorp mainframe and each duel will be accessible through satellite programming via web until the top number of each finalists from each country are chosen. The tournament is single elimination until the World Finals begin, which will construct the top eight. These portions will both be held in Domino City, though the locations will vary until the top eight are decided. These duels will be played in the Kaiba Dome."

Yami's expression didn't change. "I see you've been busy, however, does this mean that you'll also partake in the tournament?"

"No." All amusement and mirth left Seto at the mention of dueling again. Despite Kisara being back, he didn't dare. Not after what he'd seen.

He sighed, "I thought so. Although it is disappointing."

"You _were_ the only one to really challenge me," Seto commented. "Excluding the shadow duels."

Yami nodded, then shook his head. "We've never played Duel Monsters for the mere enjoyment of it, have we, Kaiba? There were always steaks in our duels. Perhaps one day that will change."

Seto didn't say anything to that. His vow was still fresh in his mind, a binding contract that he wouldn't break-nor did he want to. Only the most extreme circumstances would tempt him to break his vow. Mere enjoyment didn't cut it. He stood from his desk and left his study, uncaring if Yami followed. To him, their current discussion was done. He didn't want to hear any more. "Kisara is in her room if you want to see her."

.

Kisara had been leisurely escaping into the landscapes and scenery of Egypt-metaphorically, of course-reading through the adventures of the life of Cleopatra and the city of Rome. Then fate decided to intervene. Humming peacefully to herself, she glanced up at random to see two people walking into her room.

Her stomach dropped in her chest when she saw one of them.

Seto saw Kisara's utter shock, but before he could clarify his intentions, she did this: "M-my Pharaoh!" she squeaked, face burning red from embarrassment, before tearing out of the comforts of her bed, and nearly falling flat on her face in the lowest bow Seto had ever seen. He very nearly hauled her back to her feet, but Yami stopped him with a hand, silent and commanding. He wanted to do this himself.

Yami knelt to the floor, holding out a hand that Kisara would see with her face to the carpet. Slowly, as if scared as to insult him, she raised her head. "Please, get to your feet," he said calmly. "We are all equals here."

Kisara's eyes widened, but seeing the sincerity in either his face or his voice, she took Yami's outstretched hand to return to her feet. Gracefully, and with the utmost care, they stood together, Kisara still a little wobbly from the disuse in her legs. And much to Seto's immediate disdain, Yami—like any prince charming would—brought her to her bed to sit her down, leading her there, _touching_ her. Seto was on the verge of sneering when Yami looked back up at him, and they shared a silent conversation. _Possessive, are we?_ Seto didn't not to respond to that, verbally or otherwise. He constructed a mask of pure indifference before Kisara could see his displeasure.

"I-I apologize, my Pharaoh," Kisara stammered. "I never meant-"

" _Kisara_."

Yami smiled. "It's quite alright, Kisara," he guaranteed. "But please, as I said before, we are all equals here. In this time, I am not the Pharaoh I once was. I merely hold a position of power within the Millennium Court, nothing more."

"But you're still a Pharaoh…"

He took a deep breath. "Nevertheless, I see no reason why you should refer to me with such high respect. I'm known as Yami these days, and I'd rather we be friends."

She placed her hands over her heart. "It would be my honor."

Alright, Seto had had enough of this. "Was there anything _else_ that you wanted, Yami?"

Sensing that Seto was getting annoyed by his lingering presence, Yami righted himself. There were bounds as to where their friendship began and where business partners ended. Their relationship was complex to a perplexing degree, but they always knew when to step away. "No, I believe that's all for today. If you'll excuse me." He waved to Kisara in goodbye, but he was gone before she could raise her hand.

"He's very polite," Kisara said when they were alone, uplifted by the idea of a another companion to have at her side. "I hope we become good friends." Seto didn't respond, so she continued, "Also, Seto, will I be able to meet the rest of the Millennium Court soon? They seem like such kindhearted people. They even helped me through the crossing between realms, I want to thank them for what they've done. Oh! Also.."

Without a word, he sat down beside her, willing to let her jabber on and on about anything and everything. Her voice alone settled a feeling of calmness that his chaotic life rarely let him have, especially in the foreseeable future.

He'd been on a broken road for so long, but now the horizon line was in slight.

.

.

.

 **White Knight**

 **Author's Note:**

 _At his most vulnerable, I think Seto can really empathize with the song 'Bless the Broken Road' as seen at the top. It's a really heartfelt song, and I think it connects with Seto's most inner thoughts and beliefs, but that's just me :)_

 _On a side note, this was my most favorite chapter to write to date! Also, if you're wondering why Seto actually believes in magic before the start of this story, that'll be further explained, but also if you're plagued by dreams about a girl who's from your past for five years, I think that you'd start to believe in it all._

 _Also, the main adversary that Yami has been picking up on won't be appearing for a long time, until arc 2 of this story, for now it's just Kisara and Seto's relationship and the world around them, especially with how Kisara adapts to the modern world~! There's one chapter that I'm just dying to write and it's the last chapter of arc 1 too!_

 _Inform me of errors please._

 _And review, lovely readers! Constructive criticism is happily read by yours truly._

 _Have a lovely day~!_

 _-CassandraRoyal_


	4. One Step at a Time

**Official** _ **White Knight**_ **Summary:**

Five years have passed since Yami's victory over Yugi in the Ceremonial Duel, and five years have passed since Seto Kaiba placed himself in seclusion on a hideaway location that only five people in the whole world know about. Retiring from Duel Monsters and allowing his assistant to take over KaibaCorp in his absence, Seto thinks in solitude, pondering over his past, and plagued by dreams about the one known as 'Kisara'. Then one day, Yami appears before him, returning his deck to him and simply says, "It's time." Abruptly brought back into the world, Seto is told that Yami is attempting to bring back the Millennium Court in preparation for a possible new threat. However, he also mentions that it might be possible to bring Kisara back once again, and even with just a chance, Seto's willing to put everything on the line to do it. _Blueshipping_

.

 **White Knight**

 **Chapter Four**

 **Once Step at a Time**

.

 _Take one step at a time,_

 _There's no need to rush,_

 _It's like learning to fly, or falling in love..._

 _It's gonna happen when it's supposed to happen ,_

 _That we find the reasons why, one step at a time…_

Jordin Sparks, _One Step at a Time_ lyrics

.

Kisara sang softly to herself as she exited the bathroom, towel wrapped around her chest as she meticulously brushed through her baby blue locks with a leisure daydream. Showers were an amazing convenience, she thought happily. She just felt so _clean_ , and her skin was so soft, and she rarely found tangles in her hair anymore. She sighed in pure bliss.

 _Thank you, Seto._

She smiled as she imagined his image in her mind's eye, face carefully blank, yet willing to just sit next to her for hours on end as they talked about history and modern times and all the challenges Duel Monsters had presented him with. They were together a lot, and he really only left her side when he had work or went sleep, otherwise he was there. They were both happily content in each other's company. It was when others interrupted their conversations that Seto got annoyed, but in some ways, it was kinda cute to witness that side of him… She giggled.

Two weeks had past since she'd been revived, and she'd been released to walk about four days ago. She stumbled from time to time, but she wasn't going to fall flat on her face from lack of strength or balance anymore. Her trainer had made sure of that. That thought in mind, her legs clenched. She was still sore from all the workouts yesterday, but thankfully, her PT wasn't until the evenings so she had the whole day to rest.

A glance at the clock read one in the afternoon, and her brows furrowed. She wondered where Seto was at. Usually, he or Mokuba reminded her that lunch was ready. She shrugged, pulling on a pair of jeans and a nice long-sleeve shirt that Alexis had loaned her. Modern fashion was a rather comfortable, she'd noticed. Albeit, PJs were definitely her favorite.

She glided out of her chambers, humming a random tune she'd made up. The manor was quiet, which was pretty normal, but it was quieter than usual. Had Seto and Mokuba left? She knew Mokuba had work somewhere in town, but Seto hadn't left the Kaiba Manor since she'd been revived.

Nonplussed, she continued down the endless corridors, exploring the pathways of the old house. She'd been doing this for the last several days, inspecting and examining all she saw with unsuppressed wonder. Everything was so intricate and detailed! Artwork scattered the walls, famous figures from history and other characters situated in different styles of paintings and drawings. Seto had gone on one of her walks yesterday, explaining the various types and describing the people she hadn't studied about yet. Even the carpets were designed in sprawls of contortion, a myriad of colors bursting through contrasts and creating fantastical surreal images. Amid her curiosity, she hadn't realized how far she'd went. Officially lost, she wasn't sure if she'd accidently gone to a lower floor or not. She'd been too consumed in the elegance of her surroundings to pay attention to where she'd really gone!

Then a smooth melody filtered throughout the air, expunging the worries from her mind. She wasn't sure what the instrument was, and she knew it was something she'd never heard before, but it felt familiar. Almost like rain. Adapting to the song, Kisara hummed to herself, enraptured. Eventually she found herself dancing, twirling and spinning like a little girl lost in her dreams.

She giggled to herself, happy to live within the moment.

When the song ended, another one began. It much more subdued than its predecessor, but it was beautiful. It spoke of inconceivable heartbreak, of loss, and of all the pain of love. She was saddened by its haunting message, but she loved it too. She felt the melancholy hope of the song, but a round of deep low notes turned it into something on the edges of wholehearted despair, as if all the hope had been washed away by a sudden revelation.

It made her want to cry.

Kisara was in a deserted hallway-not very different in that sense-that seemed to be in an older section of the Kaiba Manor. There was actually dust on random objects and white drapes covered a few paintings. It was rather odd. Why had the maids left his particular section untouched? Seto was the owner, and he always had the maids keep the other areas of the house perfectly clean and regularly dusted. He must've kept this specific corridor off limits, but why?

Another question popped into her head.

 _Who_ was playing that enchantingly sorrowful melody?

She went further down the hall, the music became louder every step of the way. The feelings of anguish built in her heart as the volume increased in her ears, but her curiosity pulled her forward. There was a crack in a double set of doors, sunlight pouring through the crack and into the hallway, and the music had to be coming from whatever laid beyond. Dust particles littered the air through the crack, and the warmth of the sunlight was like being bathed in a sweet serenity.

About to open the door, she held her breath in anticipation.

"KISARA!"

Flinching from the sudden call of her name from several floors below, Kisara only took one glance back at before rushing to the other end of the corridor to where a stairwell would bring her to a lower landing. The music retreated into the background before being lost to her completely, much to her inner dismay. Despite its melancholy demeanor, it was heartfelt and true. She'd wanted to hear more; at least the ending to see if it the storyline had changed into something with a happily ever after.

But Mokuba had called for her. For what, she wasn't sure, but whatever it was, she'd find out soon.

Unbeknownst to her, the musician abruptly paused in his play, his hands gliding over his instrument of choice as he struggled to discover the resolution of this particular piece. But inwardly he knew that the final scene of its story was one that had yet to arise. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he left stood from his position and left the premises.

Kisara swiftly made it to the main living room in the Kaiba Manor, breathless from the exercise. "What… Exactly… Is it, Mokuba?" Then she took note of the people around her, and she straightened. She recognized the Pharaoh, as well as his reincarnation, Yugi Muto. She vaguely remembered the few of those who Seto had told her about in her first few days she'd been alive, and recalled that Mokuba had taken the liberty to briefly identify their names after showing her photographs of his closest friends. Even the Millennium Court was here. Photos were a helpful invention, she decided. She smiled and waved to everyone. "Oh, hello!"

"Whoa, man!" the one she remembered as Joey Wheeler, whistled. "She is really gorgeous!"

A woman named Mai Valentine-Joey's 'girlfriend', was it?-punched him in the arm, and hard enough to earn her a shout of pain. "Watch it," she muttered darkly.

The other guys were staring at her too. Tristan Taylor and Duke Devil were spellbound by her appearance. Thankfully, Serenity Wheeler snapped them to attention when she giggled at the pair of blondes beside her.

Mokuba sighed at his friends' antics. "Kisara, this is everyone you haven't met yet, I believe."

Maximillion Pegasus strided right up to her with a kind smile, hand out to shake, which she did. Mokuba had taught common courtesies a few days ago, so she understood the gesture. "Although Joey-boy may have been blunt about it, you are very beautiful, indeed. I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance, Kisara-dear."

She blushed slightly at the compliment. This was coming from the creator of modern Duel Monsters, after all. It meant a lot. "I-I thank you, sir."

He waved a hand, smiling. "Please call me Pegasus, my dear. Everyone does. There's no need to be formal."

She smiled brightly in response.

Suddenly Jaden Yuki stepped right up beside him, shining with questions and greetings. Alexis had told her about her boyfriend's uncanny ability to always be at the top of excitement, constantly happy and joking around in any situation he was in. "Hi there! Name's Jaden Yuki, it's nice to finally be able to meet the last member of the Millennium Court! And jeez, yeah, you are really pretty. Mokuba wasn't kiddin' around."

She giggled. "Thank you. I'm glad to meet you too, Jaden. I'm sure we'll become good friends in the future." He beamed at the idea, grinning, before he held out a hand. She shook it happily, knowing it would be start of a great friendship between them.

"Well, that was quick, Jaden," Alexis commented, as she walked over to them. "I'm almost surprised you didn't ask her to duel you already."

His eyes lit up. "Yeah, Kisara, we should totally duel each other some time! You know how, right?"

"She's only been alive for like two weeks, guys," Mokuba deadpanned from her side. "She doesn't have a deck, let alone know how to play. No offense, Kisara. I'm sure Seto would've wanted to teach you in the future."

"None taken." Though, in all the time she'd spent in Seto's company the last two weeks, he hadn't made any mention of playing Duel Monsters recently, even with the tournament he was in the midst of creating. Her brows furrowed, but she was unable to properly ponder when Duke popped up.

"Oh, so you're the lovely Kisara!" he purred slyly, taking both of her hands in his own. "It's truly an honor to meet a beauty such as yourself. Name's Duke, by the way. Inventor of Dungeon Dice Monsters, I'm sure you've heard of it?" No, she hadn't, but she didn't say so. She gave him a small smile, a little uncomfortable by his close proximity.

Much to her relief, Mokuba grabbed him from behind and dragged him back a good distance. "Alright, no getting touchy-touchy with Kisara, Devlin, you hear?" Duke attempted to break away, but Tristan was repeatedly berating him for his behavior, and Duke rebuked him by saying that if he hadn't gotten there first, he would've done exactly the same. The two started an argument, but Serenity calmed them both down with just a few words. Kisara watched them curiously, wondering if there was some type of love triangle going on.

"My Millennium Necklace tells me that you'll do great things, Miss Kisara."

Startled by the voice at her back, she met the aqua orbs of the holder of the Millennium Necklace. "Ishizu…" she whispered, then asked, "It does?"

She lowered her head in a nod. "Your destiny is entwined in this time with another, as I'm sure you are aware. The Blue-Eyes connects you both."

Seto… His name was always echoing in her mind, a constant whisper that stretched on into an eternity of compassion and memory. "I see..." she said softly, lovingly.

"I'm pleased so see you on your feet, Kisara." Yami's baritone voice reached her ears, and she turned around again. Yugi Muto and Tea Gardner were beside him.

Hearing such kind words from the Pharaoh made her smile. "And I'm pleased to see you again, Yami." She moved her gaze to the former King of Games and his girlfriend. "Yugi, Tea. I'm glad to finally meet you both. I've heard so much about you from Mokuba and Seto."

Tea actually burst out laughing, and Yugi chuckled at her words.

"Maybe from Mokuba," Tea allowed, after a bout of laughter. "But from Kaiba? No way."

Kisara sweatdropped to herself, realizing her mistake. "I suppose you're right." Seto had vividly expressed his views about the majority of the Millennium Court and the others that followed them along. His obvious disdain was without a doubt, but she knew that deep down he appreciated their companionship. "But I am very glad to get the chance to meet you."

"Aww, you're just so cute," Tea said with a giggle. "Don't you think so too, Yugi?"

This caused the younger Muto to redden, averting his gaze to the floor. He rubbed the back of his head as he attempted to laugh it off, "Yeah, Tea, she sure is."

"Hey, Yug." Joey made his way over to the group, having gotten away from his girlfriend for a moment to introduce himself. Yugi greeted him with a smile. "So ya are da infamous Kisara, huh? Never eard' Kaiba talk bout' someone the way he did with ya before. Bit unlike himself. My name's Joey Wheeler by the way."

Kisara smiled. "Oh, yes, I've heard plenty about you before." Mokuba had recounted all the different duels Yami and everyone had partaken in the past, and basically gave her a list of the top four duelists in the world. The first was Yami, then Yugi, Seto, and Joey rounded it up as fourth. He had her immediate respect.

"Oh, yeah?" Joey asked, grinning wryly. "Kaiba must've said just how great I am at dueling. I used to whip the floor with him in the past!"

"You're an embarrassment, Wheeler."

All eyes flickered to the newcomer, the room becoming silent as Seto Kaiba walked in. His glare was as cold as a winter's night, and it was aimed right at Joey. "To think that you'd beat me? Never."

The blonde duelist smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Then how bout' a rematch, Kaiba? It's been six years since the Battle City tournament, and I've gotten even better then I was den! Unless you're scared of me beating ya." His cocky grin widened at his own remark, and Seto hmphed.

In his lamentations in the weeks before aboard his private jet, he hadn't gone into the details of what he'd discussed with his five original confidents, merely going over his past life in major key notes, but he'd skipped over information that only his five original confidents knew and kept secret. Really though, only Yami, Yugi, and Pegasus knew everything in his story, including that he never intended on dueling again. Perhaps it was time to reveal that secret.

"I don't duel anymore," Seto snapped icily, and everyone in the room save for three reeled back in shock. "And even if I did, I wouldn't waste my time on you again. I already mopped the floor with you once."

Joey frowned, before pointing accusing at Seto. "And this is coming from the guy who _repeatedly_ attempted to beat Yug and Yami! They _both_ mopped the floor with you _more_ than once!"

Seto raised a brow, unimpressed. "Are you trying to tell me that you want to be beaten repeatedly as well?" He smirked. "I knew you were an idiot, but this is your worst hour yet. Besides, I never saw you beat one of them either, so really, does it matter?"

Joey blinked, then his expression hardened, furious. "Why I oughta-"

"Save it and leave, Wheeler." He growled to himself. "As for the rest of you, I suggest you do the same. I have work to do." He stormed out of the living room before anyone could say anything, and a subdued atmosphere was left there as a result.

Yami sighed, "He has yet to change his views of the world. It's disheartening, especially after all that's transpired recently."

Kisara didn't reply. She was too worried about Seto. Something must've happened to cause this outburst, unless it was his antisocial nature getting the better of him. Albeit, she knew there was more to the story than simple animosity. He'd told everyone that he didn't duel anymore… How long had he devoted himself to that endeavor?

"He's just a sore loser, that's all," Joey grumbled, puffing his cheeks out in frustration.

"But that's _not_ it, Joey."

"Den what is it, exactly, Yami?"

"There is much more going on than you know."

"It's true," Yugi agreed somberly. "But it's Kaiba's secret to tell. Not ours."

"Oh, for the love of-" Joey burst, groaning. "It can't be _that_ bad."

Kisara's gaze connected with Yami's, her empathy for Seto written on her face. "Go to him, Kisara. This is a sore subject for him." _He'll want you at his side._ She nodded respectfully, but without a word of goodbye, she went in search of Seto.

The halls were lonelier than earlier that day, and shadows danced around corners with a vehemence. It made her wary. She'd searched hall after hall, room after room, but to no avail. The Kaiba Manor was huge, and the probabilities of finding Seto when he didn't want to be found were not in her favor. He was unpredictable in that regard.

Again, Kisara was in the dusty corridor with the double-doors, and again, much to her surprise, the same crestfallen melody wafted through the air. Almost breaking out into a run, she knew, just _knew_ that he would be here.

"Seto!" she called frantically, bursting into the room. Then she caught her breath in her throat.

A ballroom, that was what it was, large and grand and wondrous. It was only a little smaller than its counterpart on the ground floor, but this place felt more intimate; as if the only souls who'd ever walked inside were Seto and herself. It was akin to being in a world all their own. The flooring was a deep obsidian that flickered and sparkled with colors, as if one was flying amongst the stars in the most beautiful of night skies. The walls were decorated with fantastical murals that had a varying of styles with images of gods and goddesses painted in glorious color schemes to define their personal elements. She instantly recognized them as the Egyptian gods if the scenic backgrounds were anything to justify their proper relations. The ballroom was rectangular in shape, same as the one below it, but older, more decayed-like the corridor outside. Windwalls with encroaching velvet curtains covered the opposite side of the room, while a single balcony overlooked the back courtyard gardens.

And there, nearest the balcony was Seto, standing up from his seat next to the lone piece furniture in the room. She assumed that it was what made the music. It was ebony in color, but a row of white lines in the front made her pause. She'd never seen something like it.

"Kisara."

She awoke, and sped over to him. "Seto…"

"You shouldn't be running like that," he told her once they were face to face. One of his hands lingered on the white tiles on the instrument, and phantom harmonies hummed in her head. "What are you doing here?"

"I-I… I want to know why you've stopped playing Duel Monsters." His eyes narrowed. It was a touchier subject than she'd thought if he was unwilling to tell her. "You know you can trust me, Seto. I'm worried about you. Whenever you spoke of dueling in the past, you were always so fond of it. What made you stop?"

"It's not something to be concerned about."

Her brows knit. "But you're one of the greatest duelists in the history of Duel Monsters. In both this time and the last. Remember that I was there, as your Blue Eyes White Dragon. Regardless of how blurred the memories are, I remember your love for dueling more than everything else. You wouldn't rest until you defeated your adversaries and gained victory. Something must have happened."

Seto sighed, resigned, "Kisara, this isn't something we are going to discuss right now." The sheer melancholy way of speech startled her, and she hesitated. He wasn't going to tell her, but there was always the future. She shouldn't be pressing for answers that clearly had a negative effect on Seto, he'd done so much for as it was. He'd inform her when he was ready.

She smiled a little. "Alright," she said, a soothing quality in her voice. "I'll wait for you, Seto. I always have and I always will. I'm never far behind, remember."

He looked at her, really looked at her, and a barrage of expressions flew past his face. There was disbelief, bewilderment, fear, and lastly, acceptance. Quietly, he said, "Thank you."

Kisara's smile brightened and without warning, she ran to him, wrapping her arms around his chest. His heartbeat a calm reassurance in her ear and she snuggled into him, blissful to be in his warm. She heard a grunt of surprise, but it didn't last long. Within seconds, he'd done the same, but he all but enveloped her in his embrace. As if he feared of losing her if he didn't hold on tight enough. He buried his head in her hair, breathing in her scent as the minutes ticked by without their notice.

When they pulled away, it was by mutual consent, but neither were fully willing to release the other. Settling with sitting closely on the bench set in front of the grand instrument, Kisara watched, bewitched, as Seto's hands brushed along the ivory tiles, never making a sound to be heard. Was he readying himself?

Curiously, she eyed his posture, back straight and fingers hovering above the tiles. She tilted her head to the side, wondering what he was doing.

Seto, having been mentally going over his recent music score, glanced sidelong at the bluenette beside him. Obviously, she was interested in his ministrations. "It's called a piano," he explained, his pointer finger striking down on a key.

She was awed by the sheer simplicity of it. A single strike and a beauteous sound emerged. She'd known music during her first life, but this specific instrument felt more intimate, more emotional and personal, more connected with her soul. Perhaps it was because of Seto was the musician.

"What are… What are these?" She glided her fingers along the polished white tiles, careful not to press too hard.

He, in turn, did, a symphony of notes soaring throughout the air. "They're called keys." He paused in his play. "They the pull wires on the inside, and cause a chain reaction which leads to us hearing this." He pressed down on a key, and another sound erupted through the piano, this one a low groan that forewarned a daunting horror.

Kisara felt chills slice down her spine.

"They're beautiful," she said.

Seto snorted in amusement, but didn't reply. Instead, his lethe hands roamed along the 'keys', taking a form of communication that could only be understood by music. Kisara marveled over the unforetold emotions he portrayed not by his face or his words, but by the movement of his fingers and the sound that enraptured the entire room. It was incredible.

Kisara smiled in awe, deeply enamored by the music. By Seto.

Once the first one ended, he dived into another. So lost in her euphoria she was, she slowly rested her head on his shoulder. He didn't even pause, completely unaffected by the weight and continued onward, captivating her heart with wishes and stars and a million possibilities. Peace, that was what it was. Not in all her life had she felt such a thing, and she reveled in it. She didn't want it to escape from her grasp, like so many other things had.

But Seto had always been her safe haven, and her one wholehearted dream.

She would never ask for more as long as he was there, beside her. Nothing else mattered. Nothing.

Half-lidded eyes fluttered occasionally, absorbed in a world all their own. No one would be able disturb them here. It was their aclove, their safehaven, and it was secretly locked away in the farthest corner of the Kaiba Manor. She doubted Mokuba ever bothered him here. The ballroom was too intimate, for anything more than personal use.

Her heart warmed at the thought that he hadn't told her to leave the room upon arrival. That she'd been accepted here… Kisara was content.

.

.

.

 **White Knight**

 **Author's Note:**

 _Short chapter, I know… Sorry! Don't kill me! The next two chapters will be longer, I assure you. I just needed to get these scenes done so that they could correspond into the following chapters. They'll certainly add to the current plot. Also, the reason why we haven't seen any conflict between characters is because the main issue will not appear until part two. The biggest personal change will be Seto's drive to duel again, and trust me, even with the tournament on the way, he will_ _ **not**_ _be participating. Character development will not transpire until then really. It's just Kisara and Seto's relationship for now._

 _For more SetoKisa from me, check out the prologue for my new story:_ _**Queen of Dragons**_ _. Name's pretty self-explanatory isn't it? Set in Ancient Egypt._

 _Inform me of errors please._

 _And review, lovely readers! Constructive criticism is happily read by yours truly._

 _Have a lovely day~!_

 _-CassandraRoyal_


	5. I Hope You Dance

**Official** _ **White Knight**_ **Summary:**

Five years have passed since Yami's victory over Yugi in the Ceremonial Duel, and five years have passed since Seto Kaiba placed himself in seclusion on a hideaway location that only five people in the whole world know about. Retiring from Duel Monsters and allowing his assistant to take over KaibaCorp in his absence, Seto thinks in solitude, pondering over his past, and plagued by dreams about the one known as 'Kisara'. Then one day, Yami appears before him, returning his deck to him and simply says, "It's time." Abruptly brought back into the world, Seto is told that Yami is attempting to bring back the Millennium Court in preparation for a possible new threat. However, he also mentions that it might be possible to bring Kisara back once again, and even with just a chance, Seto's willing to put everything on the line to do it. _Blueshipping_

.

 **White Knight**

 **Chapter Five**

 **I Hope You Dance**

.

 _Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens,_

 _Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,_

 _And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance._

 _Dance..._

 _I hope you dance..._

-Lee Anne Womack, _I Hope You Dance_ lyrics

.

Kisara was heavily immersed in the world of Disney. Munching on carmelcorn like it was a lifeline, she'd been on a Disney Princess marathon since that afternoon, only pausing her fifth movie in a row because Seto had found her sprawled out on one of the theatre-room couches, at three in the morning. Currently, he was glaring down at her, unimpressed.

"What the hell do you think you're doing at this hour?" he hissed, snatching the remote from her hand. He paused the final scene of Beauty and the Beast, where the Prince Adam finally kissed Belle. Disappointed by the abrupt stop in her favorite story so far, she frowned, before realizing that it was Seto who'd done so.

She offered him a teasing smile, glad to see him, and popped another piece of carmelcorn into her mouth. "I could ask you the same question."

"I had work to do."

"So did I!" she said in defense, standing up from the couch.

He lifted a brow. "Oh, really?"

She nodded vigorously, all business. "I figured that it would help learning fairytales since I basically live in one. I wanted to compare and contrast other stories to my own. In doing so, I've been studying the ancient art of television watching. It's entertaining and educational. I assume you agree with my logic."

"Oh, yes, I agree with you entirely," he drawled sarcastically, but Kisara took it as initative enough to smile and plop herself back down on the couch, slipping the remote form Seto's hand at the same time. She played the movie, engrossed in the scene. She wondered what it felt like… What _did_ a kiss feel like? It looked so soft… Her cheeks flamed a little at her imaginations, especially since the one person she'd ever consider kissing was right in front of her… Her eyes caught his, but there was nothing soft in his gaze.

"You're going to bed-Now."

She pouted a little, her lower lip protruding outwards. "Seto~!"

What happened next made her yelp. A moment ago, she'd been laid out on the couch, and the next, she was in Seto's arms, but not like the casual, yet heroic bridal style that girls supposedly fantasized about. Instead, her legs were loosely wrapped around his waist, arms around his neck in an intimate lock. His hands were at her thighs, holding her up, and his face was mere inches from her own.

"Seto." She blinked, then smiled in amusement. The smallest blush colored her porcelain features a light pink. "What are you doing?"

He'd begun to walk from the theatre-room, legs nimble and seemingly unaffected by her added weight. "What does it look like I'm doing?" he asked her, snappish, but it was more subdued than usual. After the last month of really knowing one another, she was used to his waspish tongue. It wasn't like he really lashed out at her or anything, but it happened every now and then. The first time was when she'd met the Millennium Court. The second time was when she'd accidentally fallen asleep on his Grand Piano in their ballroom. That had been about a week ago.

She giggled, remembering.

"What are you laughing at?"

She giggled again. "At you, silly." She touched his nose like it was a cute button. "You're just so adorable that you're naturally amusing."

His glare made her burst out laughing. This was probably the first time he'd ever initiated any close contact between one another, and Kisara reveled in it. She'd meant what she'd said two weeks ago, she was never far behind. They'd go at their own pace. She wasn't going to press him for answers that would cause him to retaliate. They had all the time in the world at their fingertips. But that didn't mean she wouldn't bend the rules a bit when he wanted to be close.

Once she'd calmed down, she fully wrapped herself around him, settling her head into the crook of his neck. She breathed in the scent of his cologne, happy to just be near him like this, warm and safe and together. Nothing else mattered.

The dulled light of the chandeliers above melded into spots of blurred remnants as she slowly allowed the lulls of slumber to descend upon her. With Seto around, she was content wherever she was.

An azure dreamscape met up with her.

.

The following morning was a Saturday, which meant that she had 'class' with Mokuba. She'd taken a liking to the younger Kaiba, and he her. They were friends who shared a mutual connection through a certain chestnut-haired individual. Today was actually their fourth class with each other, which mainly consisted about testing her IQ. Apparently the average person had an IQ of one-hundred, while genius level intellect could be scored at a minimum of one-fifty. Mokuba explained that Seto had a combined IQ of one-ninety, while he had a one-sixty. During their first class, she'd been extremely in over her head with the random tests and numbers, mostly due to the fact that she hadn't learned the modern number-system yet. Mokuba had then gone into an intensive lecture on the use of modern numbers and their functions within different types of math. Seto had continued with her mathematical studies in the days afterward, whereas Mokuba handled her IQ tests.

So far, a month had passed since she'd been resurrected, and things had gotten pretty crazy around the Kaiba household. Now able to run with an ease, and almost into the jumping and sprinting stage of her physical therapy, Kisara felt more alive than she did five-thousand years ago! And it was all thanks to Seto… She smiled lovingly as she thought about him. He'd done so much for her… How was she ever going to repay him for all he'd done?

Then there was the Millennium Court to thank too. She'd met the entirety of the Court about two weeks ago, and she'd been happy to finally make their acquaintance. Jaden had made her laugh, Pegasus was kind, Mr. Muto was like a grandfather, Ishizu was wise, and Yami was even wiser! They were an odd band though, with different personalities and few traits to tie them together other than Duel Monsters and their connections to Egypt. At the same time, she'd also made friends with all of Yami and Yugi's friends, who were all equally wonderful people. Mai, Serenity, and Tea had taken quite the liking to her as well, immediately helping her adapt into the modern life as a girl. They'd also been the ones to cause her obsession with Disney…

A few days ago Alexis had told her that the girls would take her out to get a haircut, since her ends were 'disastrously uneven and unhealthy'-Mai's words. Not that she was complaining. She wouldn't mind losing a few inches, her hair did fall to her knees, after all. A good foot would suffice.

Learning measurements were a nice change.

"Hey, Kisara? You there?"

Snapped out of her thoughts, she blinked, remembering that she was still in Mokuba's study. She smiled sheepishly. "Oh, sorry, Mokuba, just thinking about everything. You were saying?"

"You're distracted today, Kisara," Mokuba noted with an aire of interest. He grinned. "What? Has my brother finally made a move on you?"

Kisara's smile brightened, but she looked away, almost rolling her eyes. Last night had certainly taken her by surprise, but she was happy he'd made at least _part_ of a move. They were taking it one step at time. "Nothing big," she said lightly, leading him on to believe what he wished. "He kinda caught me watching Beauty and the Beast at three in the morning. He literally dragged me off the couch so I would go to bed." She giggled.

Mokuba grinned, shaking his head. "He's such a hypocrite sometimes. His sleep schedule is hardly one to brag about either. The only reason he knew you were awake is because he was too, more than likely. Always working all hours of the day. Over the years, I've tried to make him sleep a bit more, but what do I know?" he scoffed, though it was more in good humor than distress. "I swear, the only time he's _not_ working is when he's with you. You're like his reprieve or something."

"He does seem to work himself to the bone," Kisara agreed quietly. She remembered silent afternoons spent where she did nothing but read while Seto slept soundly beside her, sometimes on her bed, other times in the solarium. Whenever he awoke, she would smile and ask, "How were your dreams, Seto?" He would mutter something inaudible, and she'd giggle and move on. Sometimes he stayed afterward, other times he left.

"Yeah, well." Mokuba shrugged. "No point in debating that now. He's not going to change either way. Back to business." He cleared his throat, and shuffled through the drawers of his desk. He made an 'Aha!' sound, and some papers rustled. "Here it is." He set down a six-colored cube on the center of his desk, and Kisara eyed it curiously.

"What is it?"

Mokuba grinned. "It's called a rubix-cube."

Kisara cocked her head to the side. "What does it do?"

"Well, considering that I'm testing your IQ level, you're going to have to rearrange this cube as fast as you can."

"Rearrange?"

He laughed slightly, "A rubix-cube is designed to be a combination puzzle with several levels. You move them as you see if, to move these levels, anyway." He showed her with his hands, moving the separate levels in random motions so the various colors were scattered from their respective places. "The objective is to have all the sides have an equal number of colors in one place again. For some people, it takes days, sometimes hours. Only the best can really master it within minutes, or even seconds. Actually, Seto has one of the best records in history, with a five point five-six."

Her brows furrowed. "Minutes?"

He tisked, waving a finger at her. "Silly girl. Five point five-six _seconds_. You really think it would take Seto that long to finish this? Not likely." He held the rubix-cube out to her, and she took it with two hands. "Now you try."

This thing hardly looked easy to reorganize, she thought dismally. Five point five-six seconds? That had to be inhuman! How could she even compare to that? The average took days, didn't it? Surely he didn't expect them to just sit in here all day so she would finish it! Kisara shot him a worried look, the colorful little cube resting in her palms as she inspected it warily.

"I'll start whenever you begin moving the levels," Mokuba said, stopwatch in hand. Her therapist had used one those the other day, explaining that it was used to calculate a measured set of time. Apparently, he was going to time her as well.

After a moment of pause where Kisara went over a mental map of the cube's current state, she moved as fast as she could. Her hands were a flurry of motion and swirls, noting the differences and key areas that would need attention first. She could logically go through the map with her head, her fingers an extension of her mind as she worked through the puzzle unwaveringly. Then she was done, and she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

Wait, she thought. That had actually been really, really fast! She let out a laugh at her own fears, knowing she done rather well. Perhaps, she'd exceeded the Kaiba brothers' expectations!

When Seto had said that it would be likely that Kisara would finish rather quickly, Mokuba had simply thought he'd meant a few hours, not in a matter of _seconds_. Now that statement was like a slap in the face.

He glanced at the stopwatch in his hand, blinking rapidly.

Kisara had ended up finishing the rubixcube in less than five seconds.

Freaked out, Mokuba nearly dropped the stopwatch. He quickly grabbed the old telephone on his desk that worked throughout the house. He got a hold of his brother on the other line in an instant. "Uh, Bro?" he called, watching the bluenette before him who was too immersed in her own world to notice what he was doing. "I think we'll need the official timing mats that you use..." In rubixcube tournaments, a person would be timed by picking up the cube, finishing it, then slamming it back down onto a mat, which ended the timer.

"What are you talking about?"

"She beat your time by point two-seven seconds."

There was silence, then a distinctive, "Hmm."

"Uh, Seto?"

"I'll be down in a minute." The line went dead, and Kisara was seated happily in front of him, fixing and refixing the rubixcube as she saw fit, smiling to herself. He leaned back in his seat, and stared at her with wonder and no small amount of shock. _This girl might just have an IQ over 200…_

Seto entered the room minutes later, an official timing mat in hand. "You look shocked, Mokuba."

Kisara brightened upon seeing the love of her life. "Seto!"

Seto offered her a glance, but went back to his brother thereafter. Mokuba was gaping at him. "When you told me that she would finish quickly, you hadn't explained that she would be in the _genius_ category."

Seto gave him a very unimpressed look. "It should've been obvious by now."

"Genius category?" Kisara piped up, intrigued and startled. "You mean that I might be as smart as _you_?"

His heated gazed connected with hers, and she felt a seductive shiver slice down her spine. "Perhaps," he murmured. Clearly, he didn't mind the idea. Maybe if it had been anyone else, he would've been a bit more negative, but with her…

"Well, alrighty then," Mokuba interrupted, clapping his hands together, and shattering the moment between them. "Why don't we test this and then you two can go frolic in the sunshine? Preferably without me to bear witness?" Seto glared at him, and Kisara smiled sheepishly.

The rest of the day went smoothly. Her rubixcube test with the official timing mat had gone off without a hitch, her first time even better than with Mokuba's stopwatch. After awhile, she started to level out in her times, rarely going under and often only a few nanoseconds more than her first attempt with the mat. It was an interesting prospect to know that she was really in the 'genius category' as Mokuba had put it. Though she still had more tests to complete in the following weeks, she was in a category that she shared with Seto. A twinge of pride swelled in her chest.

When she was done, it was around six in the afternoon and Seto still had work to finish. Tournament preparations, apparently. He'd gone into details about it a few weeks ago, when he'd first told her about modern dueling. At first, she'd been confused by the complex system of the game, but after a few hours, she understood the just of it.

Now, however, she wondered if Seto would be willing to teach her how to play. When she'd first met the Millennium Court, Mokuba had mentioned offhandedly that Seto would probably want to teach her, but after his outburst in the living room that same day, she wasn't very keen to ask. Would it upset him, knowing that she had a desire to play, or maybe even participate in his new tournament? She sighed as he walked away.

She'd ask on another day…

.

"You plan on throwing a _what_?" Seto hissed the next morning, standing up from his desk in retribution. His brother _knew_ his absolute hatred for parties and other unnecessary effects that other companies hosted. That his _little brother_ would even consider this a proper welcome for his return-

"A gala," Mokuba interrupted, holding up his hands in defense. "And I know that you can't stand things like that, but this is for all of our shareholders and all the invite duelists participating in the Grand Master's Championships that've been at my neck since you left, Seto. The press want to know where the hell you've been in the last five years, and I figured that this is the second best thing to a press conference, since this'll be a more private event. These people will understand your disappearance, especially if you show off Kisara. The girl is like your own personal excuse, and a _tangible_ excuse, at that. It'll give them a reason not to dig too deep into everything!" Quickly, he added, "A press conference would be great too, by the way." He smiled sheepishly, slowly inching his way out of Setos' study, but his brother was unsullied.

"You are _not_ leaving this office until you tell me what else you're hiding from me," Seto snapped, growling, and Mokuba flew back into his chair for fear of what would be unleashed if he didn't readily comply. Despite nearing an age where he would be stepping into adulthood, his elder brother held a tight leash when it came not only to business affairs, but to personal affairs as well. He was learning this the hard way...

A full-fledge public appearance was not something Seto hoped would come up within the next several weeks, let alone _days_. He was barely used to staying in a house with more than one person living in it, let alone being immersed in a crowd of people that he didn't want to be near in the first place, and he was achingly reminded that his isolation was no longer in effect.

As soon as it appeared, his anger vanished, and a certain tiredness settled upon his shoulders. What more had he expected to happen when he returned? Seclude himself to his office and refuse to make a public appearance from then onwards? It would look bad if he didn't make a statement, not that he really cared what the media thought about him, but it had been five years without a single sign of him… And with the tournament around the corner, it was expected of him to attend events, _public_ events. But with Kisara around… He could manage. He wouldn't be used to it, but he'd _get_ used to it.

Mokuba visibly gulped at his brother's initial tone of voice, but slumped when he saw the abrupt change in demeanor. He'd overstepped his boundaries too soon… It probably wasn't the best time to pester Seto about appearances when he'd only been out of seclusion for a month. And Kisara had only been alive for a month too… How far would either of them be willing to go, especially so early in the game? Seto had hardly been one for being in large groups in the past, and now… Now he wasn't sure how to go about this.

Seto sighed, tired and annoyed. He sat back to his chair. Exasperated, he asked, "What exactly do you require of me for this… Gala." The word itself sounded unnatural on his tongue.

Mokuba was reluctant to answer that question for fear of what Seto would say, or worse, _do_. "You.. Uh… You, uh, kinda have to… Umm…" He rubbed the back of his head, unnerved, but Seto wouldn't have it.

"What aren't you telling me." It was a demand.

Mokuba grimaced, knowing very well that Seto would not be enthused by the prospect he was about to drop onto his lap. Reluctantly, he carefully drawled, "You're going to have to have the first dance at the gala."

He waited for impact, but Seto only said, "What?"

"I'm assuming you'll be taking Kisara as your date," Mokuba continued, not having _any_ desire to go back to the beginning. The word 'dance' didn't have a very positive meaning in Seto's vocabulary… "She'll need lessons, and I know that you've had proper training, so I'm going to take a gander here and say that you'll be her teacher."

Seto looked at his brother, really, really looked at him. His expression was nothing less than facially muttering, "You have _got_ to be kidding me." But Seto Kaiba didn't ask stupid questions like that, and Mokuba knew it, but he understood the expression from the seldom times Seto allowed anything other than apathy to spread across his face.

Flatly, Seto stated, "I don't dance, Mokuba."

His little brother laughed nervously under his breath. Seto didn't withhold his annoyance, and glared resolutely at his brother. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean you don't know how," he attempted halfheartedly. "I've seen you dance before… I mean, you're not me, but you're actually pretty good at it." He shrugged, still feeling the oppressive waves flowing freely off his brother and towards him. "Besides, Kisara will be your date. At least you have that going for you."

Inwardly, Seto could finish what Mokuba had left unsaid. _Who knows what would've happened if you'd been forced to spend time with someone else for a whole evening?_ That was a cringe-worthy thought that he didn't want to think about for too long. Mokuba continued on in a ramble, "I mean, she's basically the reason why you're back in the first place. You came back _for her_. And in a way, you created this whole tournament _for her_ , because you wouldn't be acting as CEO right now without her. Without her, really, you wouldn't be the Seto Kaiba sitting here right now. Seto you… You love her." The gigantic meaning behind such a small word reverberated in his head like a sonorous gong. Seto had said it behind closed doors in the past, but never before had it felt so strong. Quietly, Mokuba asked, "Have you told her?"

Seto's sharp gaze snapped to his. There was a warning behind those azureus eyes. No, he hadn't, and it wasn't for Mokuba to question. He averted his own gaze, disheartened. One day, things would change-even more-and for the better. One step at a time, Kisara had said. One step at a time. So, Mokuba let out a weary breath. He slapped his knees in preparation to leave, and got up from his chair. "Well, I do hope you dance, Seto, because honestly, I think Kisara would love it, and I know that seeing her smile is what you cherish more than anything else in this world. And don't try denying it, I won't believe you. You left everything behind because of her, and you were willing to put everything on the line to get her back. I'll see you later, Bro."

With that, Mokuba left the study.

.

Becoming impatient by being left alone to his thoughts, Seto marched down to the back courtyard, where the gardens flourished and prospered in a myriad of colorings and flora. Kisara liked to be there when the sun shined, breathing in the scent of flowers and admiring the majestic view of greenery from the wooden gazebo nearest the pond. And there she was, natural smile and all, as if she'd been waiting for him there. It wouldn't be a surprise if she had. The wind billowed through her hair, setting it adrift into the afternoon air, and Seto had to force himself not to pull her into him upon arrival.

"Good afternoon," she greeted brightly.

He grunted a response of agreement.

"Enjoying the day, Seto?" she asked kindly, and he stared at her. He wasn't going to attempt conversation right now, not when his anxiety was on edge. He wanted to _move_. Standing around would do him nothing. He tapped his foot in irritation, and she finally noticed. "Is there something wrong?"

He pursed his lips, and said, "Come with me." He turned back to the manor, knowing that she would follow without complaint. She skipped along side him, healthy as can be and willing to run for the pure enjoyment of it. He didn't slow his strides for that very reason.

She hummed a melody along the way, but Seto wasn't bothered. Her hums were more soothing than he usually cared to admit. _Does she sing too?_ It wouldn't be a surprise if she had a voice. The girl excelled in practically every field of study he'd tested her in so far. Why not music to add to the her ever-growing list of specialties?

Seto led them off into a secluded area of the Kaiba Manor, through vacant halls where nothing but covered paintings hung on dulled walls and undusted vases sat atop antique chests. The Ruins, Seto called them. A flicker of light in an otherwise unending abyss. This part of the house had been his only recluse after the hours upon hours of constant work when he'd initially been adopted into the Kaiba household.

He'd found the piano, found the aged hall, found a safehaven. As for the rest of the Manor however, he wasn't very fond of the majority of it. This house… He should've destroyed it the moment Gozaburo disappeared, but no, he let it survive into his reign. At the time, he'd kept the house under the ridiculous notion that it was apart of the prize he received by beating his step-father at his own game. But as the years past, and especially when Kisara came crashing back into his life amidst midnight delusions, the manor became the hunting grounds for more bad memories, and he was the prey. Only the Ruins hadn't changed for him, not even then. It had been his place. It was _still_ his place.

No. Now it was _their_ place.

He glanced at the bluenette at his side, who smiled. His expression remained unmoving, but inwardly he sighed. This girl… He was reminded of Mokuba's ramblings from an hour ago, " _Without her, really, you wouldn't be the Seto Kaiba sitting here right now. Seto you… You love her."_ His jaw tightened. It wasn't the time for that. He forced those thoughts away, preferring something a bit more relative to the situation.

He pulled on the double doors to the Ballroom, opening them for her. "Why don't you just sing aloud? It would sound better that way." Presumably.

She stopped, straightened, then grinned. "You want me to?" She sounded positively enamored by the idea.

She had that smile on her face that promised mischief. He didn't like it. "It's your choice," he said warily.

"Really?"

He frowned. "Is shouldn't be necessary to repeat myself. You know what I said."

Kisara's grin widened. "What would you like me to sing?"

"It doesn't matter." Though he did want to know what song she'd been humming all the way here, he didn't ask. Remembering that she had a Disney fetish, he added with a slightly dark undertone, "But nothing from those _kiddish_ princess cartoons you've been watching recently."

She pouted a little, puffing her cheeks out. "Oh, come on, Seto~!"

"No," he snapped.

"But why not?"

"They're useless fairytales that I don't want hear."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

He was beginning to tire of this. "No."

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"I don't even want to know where you learned that line."

She perked up. "Is that a yes though?"

He bit back a growl. "No."

Sighing dramatically, she sagged, a drooping flower admitting defeat. "Fine," she conceided. "But I can sing anything else, right?" He spared her a warning nod. "Well, I don't know very many songs, but there's one that I really like right now." He waited for her to elaborate. "It's actually about dancing…" Was she reluctant to say it? She took a breath, then said, "It's called 'I Hope You Dance'."

If she expected some sort of reaction out of him, she wasn't going to get it. Was she hoping or dreading that he would react? He was neutral about it though, and he couldn't read her precisely. Was she trying to get at something underneath the pretense of the song?

She continued on, nervously looking away from. A blush stained her cheeks, and Seto leaned against the side of the piano, intrigued. "And after I sing it… I.. I was wondering if you'd teach me how to waltz..."

So that was what this was about. Her princess movies were probably getting fantasies into her head about prince charmings and magic spells and royal dances designed for ballrooms just like this one. Dancing was also the original reason he'd brought Kisara here in the first place. She needed to learn how to dance for Mokuba's dreaded Gala in a week.

After a moment, he said, "Request accepted."

Her head snapped up. "You mean it?" His lips soured, but she quickly fixed herself. "I-I mean thank you, Seto."

He humphed. "Seeing as how you're going be my date to Mokuba's Gala before the Grand Master's Tournament, you'll have to learn how to dance properly."

"Gala?" she repeated incredulously, then her smile became as radiant as the burning sun. "Like with ballgowns and glass chandeliers and ballrooms?"

Er… "In a manner of speaking."

"And I'm your date, Seto?" she continued on, gushing out joyous emotions that he didn't know how to deal with. Then she faltered suddenly. "You-You didn't want to take someone else?"

His glare was sharp enough to cut clean through titanium. How did she have the audacity to ask him that? What could've made this a question mark? Vividly enraged, he bit out, "Who else could there possibly be, Kisara?" The answer was simple: no one. No one could ever be. No one. _Ever_.

But she didn't take this the wrong way. She stood there in stilled silence for a moment, but eventually her eyes softened to a loving kindness that she only shared with him. Her two hands found one of his own, and she held onto it. "I feel the same way," she whispered, but before the effect of the words could truly crash into him, she began to hum the first few measures of a song.

Then lyrics spilled from her lips like a silken waterfall, "I hope you never lose your sense of wonder, you get your fill to eat, but always keep that hunger. May you _never_ take one single breath for granted, God forbid love ever leave you empty handed…"

Her voice was soft and reassuring, yet a commanding powerhouse. And she was singing _to him_ , as if the message of the was specifically meant for him to hear. Perhaps it was. Seto smirked.

Her smile was euphoric, her brows knitted. "I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean. Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens… _Promise_ _me_ that you'll give _faith_ a fighting chance..." He knew what that one meant, and he almost rolled his eyes. "And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance…" Kisara trailed off, then burst, " _I hope you dance~!_ "

As a another round of the chorus shifted in, she slowly twirled into him, using the same hand she'd taken before to stand in front of him, but this time, much closer. The words still wafted throughout the ballroom in a somber, yet enthralling hope and Seto listened. Her sapphire irises glimmered in the afternoon sunlight, impassioned.

"I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean. Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens. _Promise me_ that you'll give _faith_ a fighting chance, and when you get the choice to sit it out or dance…" The whole room became deathly quiet, but then she continued, belting out a single word, " _Dance!_ " She spiraled out of his embrace, twirling and spinning. He watched her go, moving in accordance to the notes. The final measures past then, and she whispered for him alone to hear, "I _hope_ you dance…" It was a statement not just derived from the lyrics, but from her own hopes for him.

And only because it was Kisara, he'd indulge her.

Seto removed himself from the piano's edge, and stood with his usual stance. Hips forward, spine leaning back, and feet carefully shoulder width apart. But his a hand was stretched out, palm up and offering, asking. His expression was nothing more than practiced collection, but there was a hint of amusement on his dastardly lips. Not quite a challenge, but a cunning invitation that promised living dreams.

Kisara's whispering smile became euphoric as she slowly accepted his outstretched hand. He ran a thumb over her knuckles, the touch warm and comforting, but she let out a startled cry when Seto pulled her towards him fast as lightning. But she wasn't scared. Fear wasn't why her heart was racing in her chest. It was his proximity and piercing azure eyes. Eyes that held a heat in them as he gazed down at her and her alone. She almost thought he might kiss her right then and there, but instead he said, "Put your hand on my shoulder." Their other hands were already entwined, so she placed it where he directed.

"Straighten your back." Whereas her hand rested on his shoulder, his was at her waist. She followed his instruction, but he didn't seem to find it satisfactory. "You're going to waltz. You need to be straight, but you have to stay relaxed." She allowed a little less pressure on her back and he nodded. "Decent."

He told her the first step and she followed accordingly. One step back they were from the original stance. The second step went smoothly as well. Then the third. Just three steps was all it was, for beginners, and Seto didn't bother with anything technical at this point. They would have time to perfect the steps over the course of the week. Time. What a wholly wretched word in his past. But now…

They continued on with the steps, moving with a silent rhythm that enraptured them down to their very bones. Kisara's smile disappeared from her lips, their world around them disappeared, the walls of the universe fell, and all that was left was each other and their steady captivation. Their gazes remained connected all throughout, and something in Seto just snapped. Together.

The movement had been impulsive and driven from an utterly unfamiliar place he wasn't well acquainted with, but it had been swift and fluid and graceful nevertheless. Her baby blue locks flourished in a wicked waterfall that spiraled around in an elegant twirl. He heard her gasp at the utterly unannounced spin, but it was an almost laugh, an almost choked laugh that was almost, _almost_ a sob. And he wasn't sure why until he felt it too, in the depths.

But the spin wasn't complete. Seto pulled her into him, and a quick collision ensued, but he steadied her within seconds. His hands wound around her waist, a soft caress that ensured her place before him. He didn't want to let go, he wouldn't. Not while she looked at him like that, about to be torn in half.

"I-I'm sorry," she managed, her smile bright, but tinged with sorrow. Her upper lip wavered, and her sapphire irises were lined with silver. "I-I-I just never imagined that… I just…"

"Stop."

Startled, she stilled, eyes wide. She stared at him. Stop. How could she…?

"Just stop it," he said again, a certain bit to his words, but there was a tiredness beneath it all that echoed between them. Kisara understood the restless emotion veiled behind Seto's waspish personality. She understood what he meant by the impractical order he'd hoped she'd carry out. She understood everything. He was tired, he was glad enough to be tired. Anxious and restless and endlessly melded to each other's heart, forever bound to the edges of eternity. Together.

"Seto…" she whimpered. Then the tears fell from her lids in a frenzy of frantic sobs as she buried her face in his chest. He sighed, exhausted from whatever story they'd been forced to tell because of destiny's design.

The weight of five thousand years apart had finally crashed into them hard enough to create a scene such as this. Five thousand years.

Too long. Too much waiting. Too much desire. Too much time between. So _little_ time together in the past.

It was akin to a slap in the face.

How had a moronic dance hit them so hard?

The distance, the intimacy, the last month..? Kisara hadn't realized that tears would be inevitable once they reunited. Perhaps it had led to this, perhaps they never really thought of the time between with so much emotion before, until now.

They'd lasted an entire month without a moment like this, and now they finally cracked.

Seto allowed his impassiveness to escape his features for only a minute. So much had happened. So many stupid journeys. So many stupid, idiotic, damnable, unimportant events without her. Five thousand years. His thoughts had tumbled into discord, incalculative and dream-worthy.

She sobbed, and he held her like a feather admits a windy day. A day with blue skies.

Later, Kisara would remember this day and smile. It was one of the first chapters of a truly magical fairytale.

.

.

.

 **White Knight**

 **Author's Note:**

 _The song_ ' _I Hope You Dance' by Lee Ann Womack_ _is a very soulful song that's always been one of my favorites. It's country music though, so some may not like that, but it's really, really beautiful. I thought it really set the tone for this chapter, especially with Seto's unwillingness to return to the public eye._

 _The next chapter will be a necessary filler chapter-as most of these are so far-but the one following that will be the Gala! I'm dying to write that! Guess what Kisara's going to wear? I'm inwardly squealing, because she'll be so beautiful it'll strike Seto dumb. Heck, everyone in the entire place will be struck dumb by her appearance! Not only has someone finally stole Seto Kaiba's heart, but she's this beauty that no one has ever seen the likes of before!_

 _Be aware, I have no idea how to actually waltz, so, I skimmed over that section..._

 _Inform me of errors please._

 _And review, lovely readers! Constructive criticism is happily read by yours truly._

 _Have a lovely day~!_

 _-CassandraRoyal_


	6. Ordinary Day

**Official** _ **White Knight**_ **Summary:**

Five years have passed since Yami's victory over Yugi in the Ceremonial Duel, and five years have passed since Seto Kaiba placed himself in seclusion on a hideaway location that only five people in the whole world know about. Retiring from Duel Monsters and allowing his assistant to take over KaibaCorp in his absence, Seto thinks in solitude, pondering over his past, and plagued by dreams about the one known as 'Kisara'. Then one day, Yami appears before him, returning his deck to him and simply says, "It's time." Abruptly brought back into the world, Seto is told that Yami is attempting to bring back the Millennium Court in preparation for a possible new threat. However, he also mentions that it might be possible to bring Kisara back once again, and even with just a chance, Seto's willing to put everything on the line to do it. _Blueshipping_

.

 **White Knight**

 **Chapter Six**

 **Ordinary Day**

.

 _Just a day, just an ordinary day,_

 _Just trying to get by,_

 _Just a boy,_

 _Just an ordinary boy,_

 _But he was looking to the sky..._

Vanessa Carlton, _Ordinary Day_ lyrics

.

Kisara blushed. "I-I don't think that I can answer th-that question…" Inwardly, she added, _yet_.

The girls before her outright gawked, gasping at the implication.

"Are you serious?" Mai exclaimed, outraged. "That bastard hasn't done it yet?"

Tea was about as shocked as the blonde duelist. "You have got to be kidding me! He basically called upon the forces of _Ancient Egypt_ to bring you back!"

"He probably lacks the guts," Alexis muttered in disdain, scowling in a similar fashion as her brother-figure. She probably didn't even realize it.

"It is a little strange," Serenity agreed sheepishly. "I mean, it's pretty obvious that he really likes you."

"Likes?" Mai repeated with an air of incredulousness. She let out a laugh at the pure obviousness of what really laid beyond the iron wall of Seto Kaiba's exterior. "'Like' doesn't explain the half of what that bastard feels for her! He's _in love_ with her!" She humphed, and crossed her arms. "Has been for his entire life if what you guys said is true. The Blue Eyes White Dragon was what, his fetish since childhood, right? If that's the case, he's unknowingly been in love with her his entire life and he didn't even know it until recently. If you ask me, he's still in denial."

While Mai may not have gone to Egypt with them, like Serenity and Duke, she'd gotten a rundown about how the event's of how Kisara's revival came to pass. The whole group was now aware of all the secrets Yami and Yugi had kept secret for years on end, and how everything was connected by the magic of the Millennium Items and the ancient civilizations that happened to be the cause of all their adventures.

"Well, at least, we know that _that's_ not true," Alexis argued. "He's admitted that he cared about her, which is far more than what he's given to anyone else on this planet other than Mokuba."

"And you," Tea reminded her, and Alexis smiled.

"Not that he'll ever admit it though. It's only his actions that say otherwise." She rounded on the bluenette of their group. "As for Kisara, here, he's actually admitted to caring about her wellbeing. His actions only add into the equation, but as for the reason he hasn't kissed you yet, I can only take a guess." Therein laid a part of the question that Kisara had blushed at. _What's it like to kiss Seto Kaiba?_ "It's possible that the emotional stress has actually gotten to him," Alexis continued, thinking as logically as any Kaiba. "Can't say that I'm not shocked that feelings would make him more hesitant, but I think it might be the reason."

"Do you think that's the reason why he quit dueling?" Kisara asked abruptly. The reason why she'd said they would take it slow in the first was his complete refusal to ever duel again, and she had noticed that he also seemed rather hesitant to further their relationship as 'friends' and into something more. Something they were meant to be. "That _I'm_ the reason behind it all?"

Alexis faltered, and her mouth went dry. "I-I don't know…" she admitted honestly. Her brows knit. "I mean it's possible, and I feel terrible saying it, but it's just that: possible." She hadn't been apart of the five who knew Seto's secrets from the last five years, and it pained her to acknowledge that fact. She'd gotten the brief overlay of his seclusion, but not the real history that had been kept in the dark since five years ago. His five confidents might be able to answer Kisara's question, but Seto was the real enigma. He knew the answers better than anyone. "But that's a question you'll have to ask him yourself, Kisara. You're one of the only person he'll be willing to open up to. No—Scratch that—more than anyone else in this world, you're the person he'd be willing to open up to."

Kisara's heart warmed at such an idea, but the bittersweet remnants of the unknown lingered at the back of her mind. What kept him from dueling? What kept him at a distance even now? They were close enough to drown in each other, but if they became even closer, then they'd be able to save one another from the depths. They'd be _together_. What bond could be stronger than that? Five thousand years worth of history combined in two people from two separate times? Only the bond forged between Yami and Yugi could ever rival them, but being incarnate and reincarnate was a unique circumstance in and of itself. Together Kisara and Seto could topple anyone in their path. Together.

Kisara smiled faintly, and Mai took that as initiative enough to bolt upright onto her feet. The others stared up at her in curiosity. "Well, while Kaiba might be wavering now, what Alexis said is true. I can see it with just the way he looks at you." She began to smirk. "That idea in mind…" Her eyes raked over Kisara. "We need to get you a dress for the GMT Gala."

Kisara sputtered, "You couldn't possibly buy me something like that! I could never ask that—"

"Oh, honey, whoever said _I_ was going to buy you anything?" She flashed a platinum card in her hand, handling it like a Duel Monster's card. "Kaiba gave you this weeks ago, didn't he? And with this, you practically have an endless supply of cash with that guy's wealth."

"Seto's money is his own," she defended. "Not mine."

Mai's eyes narrowed. "Hun, you might as well be his wife. This cash belongs to you too."

At that, all attempts at argument were thrown at the door as Kisara officially lost the remainder of her composure. His _wife_?! She was not—! But she—She wasn't. But she wouldn't exactly mind—No! No! She was at a loss for words as her voice got stuck in her throat and her face burned an unpleasant scarlet.

"Mai…" Serenity mumbled in defeat. "That might have gone a bit too far."

Tea shook her head, exasperated at the blunt nature that was Mai Valentine. "You might as well have dropped a bomb on Kisara. Hell, that probably would've been better than saying what you did."

Alexis just sweatdropped. Her brother figure may be in love with the bluenette, but she doubted that marriage was on his mind, or was going to be anytime soon. In the future perhaps, but anytime soon? Definitely not. On another note… "So tell us Mai, has Joey proposed to _you_ yet?"

Mai then went into rant about how the blonde bimbo hadn't proposed despite being together for more than three and a half years. But Alexis knew better, and so did the other girls.

.

It was the first time Kisara had left the Kaiba Manor. And she was in awe of the world around her. It was so expansive! And the buildings sailed into the sky to the point where she had to crane her neck to see them properly. Vehicles in a myriad of colors flew past street signs and people—so _many_ people! Domino City was a technologically advanced, utopian society in Kisara's eyes. Signs, advertisements, restaurants—The sights, the sounds! Hustle and bustle and vendors and shops and downtown streets! It was beyond beautiful.

She thought she might start crying. In fact, she felt their burn behind her lids, and they threatened to descend, but she forced them away. They were of no use to her right now. She wanted to enjoy the ride.

With Seto taking care of last minute preparations for the Gala and for the announcement of what the Gala represented, he was preoccupied. She'd barely seen him since the afternoon in the ballroom where he'd taught her how to waltz. That had been three days ago. She'd mostly spent her time hitting the books and studying modern tendencies as well as the specifics to World History, but she'd been unable to stop thinking about him. They'd finally cracked under the pressure of what their relationship had gone through, in both this life and the last. They hadn't talked about it afterward, but something told her they wouldn't need to. They understood each other.

The girls had taken Seto's personal limousine out for a day, to which they'd asked _Mokuba_ for permission instead of the returning CEO, as he had a reputation for being decidedly 'rude' to those who dared to disturb him amid his work. They'd considered using Kisara and her talents with the CEO, but eventually went with Mokuba because he wouldn't put up an unnecessary argument about it. She doubted Seto even knew she'd left the Kaiba Manor with how busy he was.

Currently, Kisara—having been enamored by the outside scenery of Domino City—was letting the wind soar through her baby blue locks as the limousine bypassed the crowded streets. The sunroof was a nice touch to it, and she waved frantically to passerbyers and pedestrians. Some guys were so struck dumb by her exotic beauty, they belatedly waved back at her, not that she noticed their infatuation, of course. Others were shocked that a model-worthy girl with a smile bright as sunshine would be waving to them from a _KaibaCorp_ issued limousine. Photographers and paparazzi snapped pictures of her too, but Roland—being used to diverting the media-got them off their tail quickly enough with his driving expertise.

They ended up going to some extremely high-end stores, since Alexis reminded the group that Kisara had yet to receive any form of clothing of her own since being revived. Mai had gasped in shock, clearing having thought that Kaiba had _at least_ bought her a wardrobe. Gods forbid a girl not having anything to wear other than Alexis' spare clothes.

"Missey!" Mai sang, galavanting through the glassen doors into one of the more impressive shops of Domino City. A tailored employee with a 'Missey' name-tag was immediately at their beck and call. Apparently Mai knew what she was doing. At least one of them did. Missey, whose smile was plastered on her face in an almost grimace-worthy brightness, politely kissed the sides of Mai's cheeks, while she did the same. Tea and Alexis were a bit lost, almost cringing at the cliche scene spread out before them, whereas Kisara and Serenity observed the exchange with something akin to mild interest. What an… _Intimate_ … Way to greet someone…

Missey then took stock of the girls behind Mai, her smile brightening ever more. "And who are these beautiful ladies?" Her gestures were exaggerated with a certain perkiness that Kisara didn't know how to respond to exactly.

"These beautiful ladies are my friends," Mai explained. "But today you'll specifically helping this girl right here." She pointed to Kisara, and Missey's jaw dropped upon setting her gaze on her.

Kisara managed a smile, but it was halfhearted. Maybe a little of Seto's personality was starting to rub off on her if she felt awkward in front of someone with such a delighted demeanor? Or was it something else? Her lack of social communication in her past life left her with the bare minimum of people skills. The only person she could really read without _too_ _much_ trouble was Seto, but that was because of their connection.

"My, my!" Missey exclaimed, readjusting the frames on her nose. "Is that hair _natural_?"

Kisara froze. The last time someone had made a comment on her hair, she'd been hopelessly stoned to the ground until Priest Seto—

"My, it's simply gorgeous! Oh! I would kill for hair such as that! So unique!" She clasped her hands together, utterly astounded by her colorings. And Kisara didn't know what to say. For the second time that day, her voice was caught in her throat. The lady actually thought her hair was 'gorgeous'? Sure her friends had always said her hair was really pretty, but she'd safely assumed it was just for pleasantries. To hear genuine praise was startling. She knew that Seto hardly cared about her appearance, so she hadn't made a fuss of it, but to think that she could be considered 'gorgeous' was near impossible to believe… Was she really?

"I know, right?" Mai agreed, smug, startling her further. "No one has been able to keep their eyes off of her! I almost feel bad for her boyfriend."

"Mai!" Alexis snapped, knowing that the truth of who they were and what they represented could hardly be given out to a shop employee.

But Mai waved her off. "Missey's my most trusted confident in the shopping industry. I've been coming here for years, and no secrets have been spilled. She's considered the best because of it, isn't that right?"

Missey nodded vigorously. "I'm a locked safe. Tell me, and no one else will hear of it. Besides, who've I to tell?"

 _Uh, the media?_ Alexis' expression wrote as much.

She laughed. "Oh, honey. I've worked with celebrities of all sorts. Duelists, artists, singers, performers, you name it. You learn to keep your trap shut when you want to work in a place like this. It makes everyone like you more, _especially_ the shoppers. In a way, it's more important to keep secrets as compared to making the common buck splurging your knowledge to the paparazzi. Besides, that'd be boring! It's better when you're one of the few that know everything." Her smile had become positively devious, and they all made a mental note not to question the lady.

Alexis however, sighed, relenting to the unanswered name behind Kisara's 'boyfriend'. "Fine, go on ahead, Mai. But it's on you if _he_ finds out about this."

"He?" Missey queried. " _He_ sounds important."

Mai flashed the platinum credit card from out of nowhere. " _Seto Kaiba_ has given free reign to his girlfriend here to spend the day shopping for a whole new wardrobe." She jerked her chin at her. "Kisara is the secret behind everything." Her smile was pretty, but veiled with the mysteries of the truth. A hint of a grand story, nothing more, but Missey accepted the vague description without qualm after seeing the KC insignia on the credit-card. No one would be able to replicate it. KaibaCorp was the most technologically advanced company ever created, and Seto Kaiba himself would never allow anyone to replicate his personal credentials without being sued for their lives, and the threat was usually enough to dissuade hackers. It was the real deal, she surmised, especially after she identified it to the mainframe computer of their shop.

"Well," Missey breathed a laugh. "Since the Man in White actually has a girlfriend, I'm happy to oblige. I've helped Mr. Kaiba out before with his own wardrobe in the past. In addition to being a helper employee here part-time, I'm also a personal designer. I've designed several of his jackets actually. That white one has always been my personal favorite, if you ask me." She grinned cheekily.

"Wait," Tea said after a pause. " _You're_ the one behind all his jacket designs?"

She held her pointer finger to her lips, winking. "Don't tell him I told you, will you? He has quite the nasty temper when riled up."

They could do more than imagine that.

"But enough about me," Missey said, moving towards Kisara. She looped her arm through hers and marched onto the racks of clothing. "We have a whole new wardrobe to find!"

.

"Okay, let's have a check list here," Tea announced, drawing her phone from her pocket and entering through her notes to write everything down. "Wardrobe, check. Hair, check. Hair accessories, check. Shampoos and conditioners, check. Other utilities, check. Make-up for the Gala, check. Hmm… All we have left would be the dress. We could probably head off to Missey again to see to that." She looked up. "How does that sound to you, Kisara? Or does anyone else have another idea?"

They'd decided to leave the dress for last, considering it would be the most important article she'd need anytime soon. They wanted all their attentions on finding Kisara the perfect dress for the Gala in three days time, instead of diverting their attentions on lesser things like hair accessories for any other ordinary day. The dress was the epitome of their travels, after all!

They'd already spent at least some _thousands_ of dollars at these high-end stores, and Kisara had been biting her lip throughout the day. Did these material items really cost so much? How could she ever repay Seto for this? It was just too much! She didn't particularly need anything, being so used to the minimum back in Ancient Egypt. She really wasn't much for anything beyond the requirements, but her friends were as insistent as any entrepreneur. She couldn't say no, and yet, the guilt drew on her nerves. Luckily, they'd noticed, and had lessened the load by a rather fair standard. But that didn't mean that her guilt was gone completely. How much did one girl really need in this time? It was certainly a lot more than she'd bargained for!

She'd gotten so used to wearing the rough skins on her back and the Blue Eyes as her only companion. That she had a home, a home with Seto, no less, and a surplus supply of food, she was fine. She even had books. Books! She wouldn't never been given the opportunity to read such divine fiction in the past! And education! She'd never gotten something so precious in her lives. Seto may have passed it off as a given, but she was eternally grateful to him for it. To learn the ways of the world and the history of it, it was a gift she could never repay. And Seto… Seto was her world. That she had him… She didn't need anything else. Everything could fall to ruin at her feet, but as long as she had him…

"Hello! You in there, Kisara? Hello~!" Tea sang, repeatedly snapping her fingers in front of Kisara's face. She blinked, awoken from her inner woes. "Ah, there you are. Thought I lost you there for a moment. We were thinking of going back to the shop Missey works at to get you a dress. Does that sound good?"

"Sure," she replied with a slight smile. All this stuff was starting to get to her head. "Sounds great!"

The girls then dropped off their items from the previous store into the limousine, and walked the next few blocks down the streets, catching a few pairs of eyes along the way, but otherwise went unnoticed by the people of Domino City. Tea walked alongside Kisara, whereas the others were up ahead, going through possible ideas for Kisara's dress.

"So, tell me, what's up?" Tea asked, noticing the details like usual. "For all this shopping, you seem kinda down. Anyone else would probably be frantically checking out all the stores out there, but not you. What's wrong?"

Kisara faltered, taken aback. Tea was observant enough to sense the emotions of her friends, and she wondered if she was usually the one to be there whenever someone stumbled and fell. She was beginning to witness that trait. "It-It's just that I'm not exactly used to being…" The words felt odd on her lips. "Pampered…"

Tea let out a small laugh. "Oh, I see, you're one of _those_ types. When you said before that it was too much, I'd thought nothing of it, but you really are _that type of person_. Ha, I'm surprised Seto Kaiba found such a kindhearted girl to fall for. It's certainly unexpected."

Kisara nearly stopped in her tracks. "What do you mean I'm one of 'those types'?"

Tea's expression was soft. "You're selfless. You don't want to be a hinderance, and you don't want to lean on others unnecessarily. You're willing to put everyone on the line for those you care for, including your life. Based on the story Kaiba told us about your past, I should've realized it from the start, but now it's like a glaring light in my vision. Meeting you and envisioning your story really connect now."

People kept surprising her. "I'm selfless?"

"Are you telling me that you don't think so?" Tea raised a brow.

"I never thought about it really." Her life had been based on a simple fact: survival. To be selfless… Was she really? "But that doesn't change the fact that I've spent way too much of Seto's money! I mean, how I'm going to repay him for this?"

Tea rolled her eyes. "Kaiba is the richest man alive. Today's spendings aren't going to dent his cash reserves. Trust me."

"But still…"

Tea stopped in her tracks. "I understand where you're coming from, Kisara. And let me tell you what, if you're really concerned about it, take it up with him. I'm sure he can find you some fraction of a job. Hey! Actually, I bet you could work at the museum! Or part-time maybe? Having a girl specializing in Egyptology isn't exactly a regular occurrence in Domino, especially a girl who happened to _live_ in _Ancient_ Egypt. That being said, take it up with Kaiba. The guy probably has resources from around the globe available to him via text message." She scoffed at the high probability of it, and continued on to their destination, Kisara following closely behind.

.

"Oh, you're back!" Missey gushed upon return. "You wanted a dress right? What type? Formal? Informal? Cocktail? Gown? Princess? Tell me, and I'm all ears!"

Uhh… Despite the hype they'd been advertising about this 'fantasy' dress for the blunette, they really hadn't gotten into the specifics, and with Kisara never having worn anything formal before, they didn't know where to begin searching.

"Based on the empty looks on your faces, I'm going to safely assume that you have no idea." Missey sweatdropped, and the group shared equally sheepish expressions. Then the bespectacled designer clapped her hands, ready with possible places to start. "Well, with that complexion and colorings, you may want something that really brings that out? Perhaps something akin to Cinderella's gown? We have several designs similar to that. Or we could go with something to contrast your colorings, perhaps? Like a deep red? No? You don't like that color? Ha, well, we'll start with the Cinderella gowns then, and go on from there."

Thus began one of the most crazy moments in Kisara's life to date. Blue, cerulean, azure, indigo, royal, silver, white, gray, platinum… Every color between purple and blue and white! Between the various mermaid styles that made her want to blush in embarrassment and the slimmed down silver backless, Kisara was thrown dress options left and right. She wasn't sure about most of them, and with only a few she dared say she _liked_ , she might as well have gone through the entire department in those three colors.

She didn't necessarily like refusing things her friends suggested, but after everything they said about the 'perfect gown', she didn't want to end up wearing something she wholehearted loved. They were also throwing dress options at her for her to try on, but none really caught her eye. They weren't _her_. There were a few that the others had outright gawked at, saying she was the quintessence of Cinderella, but Kisara disagreed. She'd liked them, but they hadn't tugged at her heart like she wanted. Luckily, her friends understood and went back to the dress racks with a ardent fervor, undeterred.

Mai could tell that Kisara was beginning to tire. Well, it had been about say… Five hours worth of shopping so far, and she doubted the girl had ever been through such a tedious process in her lives before. How sad… She spared a glance at the bluenette, who was being bombarded by Serenity and Tea for certain blue and white dress designs, and she observed the scene with growing fondness. It was nice to have friends, especially when they needed one another. And with all the historical madness and old magic they'd been through in the past, it was gift of fate to have some mundane years afterwards.

Mai straightened, the gears working in her head as a single idea ignited her creative ideals. She smirked. Oh yes, it was sure to cause a certain spark among the guests. She immediately went to work.

The idea was so simple, so perfect, yet enraptured with a hidden meaning that few would be aware of. If Kisara were ever to be a princess, where would her origins lie? Where would her crown be placed? Where would the culture bring out her personal traits? Where would Kisara be a princess? The answer was so simple. So terribly, horribly, _simple_ that she was surprised it took her until now to figure it out.

From what she remembered, Kisara probably would've been Kaiba's Queen back in ancient times. Why not bring that regality into the modern world? If only to see that supercilious bastard lose his marbles for the first time in forever? She grinned wickedly. Oh, yes. She'd definitely enjoy this.

Hell, everyone would be getting a kick out of this. Kisara would no doubt be receiving the most attention of the night, and Mai was going to ensure it. Kisara deserved that kiss too, so she might as well give Kaiba a push at the same time.

.

"You went out shopping," Seto drawled, unimpressed.

Kisara laughed nervously. "Yeah, I think everyone went a little overboard with the extra clothes."

"Is that really _all_ this is?" Mokuba asked, bewildered.

She bit her lip. "I'm sorry to say that I couldn't stop them."

The younger Kaiba laughed. "How did I know this was going to happen eventually? You give a girl a credit card and it's her friends who buy her everything imaginable. I doubt with those three you had a choice in the matter either."

"Not really…" She'd tried to, but her efforts had been in vain.

Seto was merely glancing over the twenty or so stuffed bags, before he sheathed his hands in his pockets. "It's less than expected," he stated offhandedly. "Especially with Valentine."

"B-but look at all this!" Kisara sputtered. "It's like an entire store threw up in my bedroom!"

Seto's gaze slid to the petite blunette. "And the problem here is?"

She was frazzled, clearly overwhelmed. "I-it's just too much for me…"

He paused, and the considered the possibilities. His eyes narrowed, intrigued. "Are you saying, you'd like to pay for it?"

"You serious, Bro?" Mokuba gaped. "But she's—"

"I'll do it."

The Kaiba brothers turned to Kisara. "I'll do it," she repeated, this time determined to commit.

"But _how_?" Mokuba demanded, confounded by the two's reasoning behind this.

Kisara's mind whirled. She almost blurted Tea's recommendation for the museum, but then Dueling popped into her thoughts, and it stuck like glue. She sucked in a breath. "I'll compete in the Grand Master's Tournament," she announced suddenly, glancing between the two. "I mean, the prize money is kinda extreme, isn't it? I can pay you back that way."

Mokuba's jaw dropped, and Seto stared at her. Slowly, he said, "What?"

"I-I realize that you're busy, and aren't going to be participating, and since Mokuba is at a similar disadvantage, I might as well be the representative of KaibaCorp." Maybe she was being arrogant, but she wanted to play in the GMT. Wanted to more than she cared to admit. "I mean, you'll have to sponsor someone, and since you probably wouldn't want to sponsor someone like Yami or Yugi, why not me? And with my IQ and connection to the past, I should be pretty good. Don't you think?"

A contemplative silence swept between the trio, two of which eyed Kisara differently than usual. There was a glow in her aura, a defiance to topple the odds that weren't in her favor, a competitive nature he'd never seen before. A desire. A flame. A _spark_.

Lightning flashed in her sapphire irises, white as prism. An immortal power.

Mokuba might not've seen it, but Seto did. "You think you can beat Yugi and Yami, where no one else has?" _Not even me?_

Kisara smiled slightly. "Isn't that the point of faith?"

 _I hope you give faith a fighting chance…_ The lyrics of that song, sang phantom melodies in his head. _Is this part of what she meant that day? With Kisara, it probably was._ Poetic and puzzling, she was. Seto scoffed to himself. Why not? With Kisara, why not? He had nothing to lose in this game, and neither did she. Ordinary people seemed to like an underdog or an up and coming champ anyway.

Seto crossed his arms, and looked at his newest sponsor Duelist. "I suppose it is."

.

It was late in the evening. Night had fallen some time ago, and stars speckled a blurred sky, hindered mainly by the city lights of Domino City. And while Kisara missed their presence, the sparkles and neon illuminations caught her attention vividly enough. Seto's limo drove like a panther amid the crowded streets, avoiding the majority of observation from the populous. They still managed to get stared at though, by the media in particular, but it wasn't as bad as it could've been, Seto had said.

Seto's bodyguards made way for them as they pressed through the crowd of paparazzi. A barrage of incessant questioning rang throughout the air as Seto pulled her along. Uncomfortable would be an understatement, but she smiled warily at the people presumably taking her picture for whatever news article they labored for. And she could only assume that Seto's scowl marred his face, based on the cowering media in front of them. Little was left to the imagination about Seto Kaiba's rage.

However, Kisara didn't know why Seto had brought her to KaibaCorp Headquarters. She was doubtful to think it had anything to do with a publicity stunt since his attitude towards such things pointed in the exact opposite direction, but really, she didn't have a clue. "Umm, Seto?" she called awkwardly, inwardly wondering the same question as the media. Why were they here?

He spared her withering glance. "Just stay quiet." She puffed her cheeks out indignantly, but complied with his demand nevertheless. He knew how to handle the press anyway, better to let him handle it.

When they finally made it inside the building without any pestering media on the inside, Seto released her from his hold and strode down the main hall to an elevator. Behind them, Roland and a band of Seto's personal bodyguards were holding back an oncoming fiasco in the making. She gave Roland a smile of gratitude, and he paused in his work, nodding tersely in reply, then carried on with his task. She was grateful for their effort. She knew that Roland had been around for years and was well acquainted with Seto's personal life, so much in fact that Seto had let Roland take over KaibaCorp in his recent absence. They had to be relatively close for that type of trust to be disposed. And she was forever grateful that Seto had that for himself. With so few friends in a world of corporate elites and professional duelists, it was rare to have that kind of faith. She knew that over the years—despite Seto's outward disposition—he had _some_ form of care for the Millennium Court and its various tag-alongs.

It would lead him somewhere into the light, she knew.

"Would you like to see what we actually left the Kaiba Manor for, or has your insatiable curiosity finally failed you?"

Taken from her deliberations, she realized she was standing before the elevator doors that would presumably lead them to their destination. His mouth had soured, but he was otherwise the same. Minor annoyance, nothing more. Still, she took that idea and found her footing. "Sorry," she said with a quick grace of her lips. The doors closed before she could say anything else, leaving them disconnected from the chaos on the ground floor. "I was lost in thought."

"I see." No other attempt to direct the conversation elsewhere. And she had to wonder, was he _intentionally_ withholding information? The idea was odd. He didn't hide things from her unless it had to do with dueling—Wait. This _had_ to do with dueling then. This entire plot was because of dueling. It had to be! KaibaCorp Headquarters was the home of of the greatest dueling tech on the planet! Why else would Seto suddenly allow himself to be seen by the public other than something involving Duel Monsters? Did it have something to do with her being his 'sponsor'? She really only knew basic business strategies with her limited education, but she understood the just of it. But why and where exactly were they doing? The key details evaded her knowledge, and while she figured she'd find out within minutes, her 'insatiable curiosity'—as Seto had put it—was getting the better of her.

Instrumental melodies wafted throughout the elevator on their way up, and Kisara hummed to the tune, forcing herself not to twitch with curiosity. Better to distract herself than let her get carried away, or worse, unwittingly annoy Seto. He seemed to like her hums anyway, considering he wasn't snapping at her to stop. Unthinkingly, she picked out a piece of her baby blue locks to inspect, still a bit enamored by the curls, but her heart wasn't in it.

Then the elevator dinged and they glided open, revealing the top floor hallway to Seto's office. She eyed the surrounding vicinity with awe, but also managed to sneak a glance at a certain brunette who was singularly glaring ahead towards their destination. Did he not think being back was nostalgic? It almost seemed like he walked with a practiced familiarity, as if he'd never left. She smiled faintly. At least he felt normal here. Albeit, Seto could probably be anywhere in the world and never lose his sense of calm. Well… Other than Egypt perhaps, but she doubted he'd ever want to return to his incarnate's homeland for yet again, _another_ adventure.

"Soooo," Kisara sang pleasantly. "Why are we at KaibaCorp again?"

"You'll find out when we get there."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Aren't we there already? I mean, this is your office, isn't it?"

They stood at the door-frame outside his office, Seto's hand on the knob. He stared her down with a certain heat, and a light blush decorated her cheeks as she smiled up at him. Unthinkingly, she picked out a piece of her baby blue locks to twirl behind her back. A nervous habit she'd started recently.

When he blinked, the heat was gone, and he opened the office door. "Isn't that obvious?" he stated, referring back to her question she'd forgotten she'd even asked a moment ago. "Also, I don't mind the length." He'd already turned away from her, striding into the office, but her lips parted in a slight gape.

It was only earlier that very same day that she'd gotten her first haircut. They'd chopped off over a foot and it was a lot lighter than before, more healthy, apparently. Now instead of dropping off down to her knees, it swayed just below her thighs. The hairdresser had curled it to perfection as well, and now her hair descended down her back in gleaming ringlets. And Seto had _complimented_ her hair.

Her smile was euphoric and gleeful as she all but skipped inside, the door closing behind her. His office was nothing less than what she would've expected, and not much different than his one at the Kaiba Manor. Spotless, tactful, orderly, and dignified. There wasn't much for personal touches, which was to be expected, but she didn't mind it. The office was how Seto desired others to perceive him as, not who he really was. The inner Seto Kaiba was so much more than simplicity and shadowed grays. She knew that well enough.

Seto released a deep sigh, recalling that he hadn't been in his office in over four and a half years. Then he swallowed whatever emotion that'd dared to belittle him, and acted studiously. He had _work_ to do. With Kisara, he _could_ work again. And work, he would.

"Waaa…" Kisara breathed, then noticing glassen windows that brought up the rear of his office. The city of Domino was spread out beneath them, luminous lights echoing through half reflected signs and blurred neon colorings. Sights and sounds and gleaming night. Having seen her reaction, Seto switched off the lights. Darkness flooded the interior, but the world outside brightened to an almost startling degree. Prismatic hues brightened and the clarity was fine.

Kisara pressed her hands against the glass, her head bracing the edge as she observed the lower world. "It's beautiful…" she whispered. Seto wanted to snort. She was so easily impressed and pleased, it was almost ridiculous. "Is this why you brought me here, Seto?"

At that, he did snort. "Hardly. The view isn't that fantastic."

Her eyes widened. "You've seen better?"

"Definitely."

She seemed to take that into consideration, pausing. Then she flipped around, her back to the glass as to face him from a better angle. Her smile was rueful. "You've seen so much of this world, haven't you?"

"More than I've cared to," he admitted bitterly. Moments in time took him to places and locations he'd both destroyed and created. His childhood took him to Gozaburo, and in turn, KaibaCorp. KaibaCorp took him to the Blue Eyes, and in turn, Yugi. Yugi took him to greet his past, and in turn, Kisara. A wheel of unprecedented time swirled through his life, forcing him to see and witness scenes he never knew existed, to observe people he never knew existed. All roads led to somewhere, and his road just happened to lead him towards Kisara.

Seto shook his head, removing those thoughts from his mind. "But that isn't why we came here." His fingers tapped a code into a nearby scanner, the numbers tumbling for only a moment before a secret door appeared from the side of his office. It hadn't been opened in over five years, he thought, apathetic.

And Kisara gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "You can't possibly… Seto…"

"Is it really that hard to imagine?"

"Th-this is an _entire_ hall dedicated _specifically_ to Duel Monsters!" Kisara sputtered, flabbergasted by the sheer amount of cards and duel module designs. "Just how many cards have you collected over the years, Seto? This… This… It's incredible!" Giggles bubbled past her lips, bypassing her better judgement. "Wow. When Mokuba said you loved the game, I guess I underestimated. Ha, wow. This is amazing!"

All around her, shelves, upon shelves of sheathed cards were displayed. It was an _archive_ of Duel Monsters. Monsters and spells and traps were in type order, beginning with monsters and ending with trap cards. Monsters were specifically listed in order of rarity amid the Duel Monsters community, and some were oddly familiar to her. There were even duel arena designs and former versions of the modern duel disks, protected behind glass containers.

Then a glimmer from the corner of her eye snatched her attention away. Her head snapped to the side, and a spark resounded in her heart. A call from beyond this realm.

Seto noticed immediately, watching the scene unfold from the sidelines.

In a singular display-case, was a card that shimmered with an opalescent blue luster. Grand and infallible by nature it was, with a metallic wingspan and piercing cerulean irises that told of an ancient origin. An alien cry beckoned her further, a mighty roar from a time long since past. It wasn't her dragon.

But it was something similar.

The Blue Eyes Shining Dragon…

Vaguely, she remembered a fragment of memory… Something about Anubis? And the… The Pyramid of Light, was it? She didn't know much more than that. The memory was fuzzy and beyond her current grasp.

"It's one of the greatest cards in Duel Monsters." It was a factual statement, no more.

"Is it, now?" she whispered lullingly, caught in her thoughts.

"Its purpose is to destroy the God Cards."

Kisara stilled, jolted back into reality. She blinked rapidly, her breath coming in and out of her lungs in pants. "You—" She licked her lips. "You can't possibly be serious, Seto. I-I mean that type of power…" She trailed off, then found her voice. "That—That type of power isn't meant for someone like me. It's meant for someone like you, a chosen duelist by destiny's design. Not—Not _me_."

His lips pursed. "You're the one who's been at my neck about destiny, Kisara. Why not you?"

"I'm the bearer," she said, attempting to gain some ground. "Not the wielder. I-I'm not the one—"

"What about the tournament."

"Another deck then," she managed, breaking away from him. "I mean you have all these cards, why do I have to have one made for _that_ card?" She was freaking out, her voice on the verge of delirious. She wasn't angry, by the Gods, no! She was _shocked_. Hell, she was bewildered beyond recognition to a point where she could barely think straight! He serious thought she was going to be able to handle that type of monster in her deck? A card _specifically designed_ to destroy the God Cards. By the Gods… She'd wanted to be successful enough to prove her worth, but to wield a card of such divine purpose? How could she possibly—

Irritated by her lack of realism, Seto finally snapped, "Then what about _faith_ , Kisara?"

That really cracked her. It was like she'd gotten hit by her own White Lightning in a chaotic explosion meant for the edges of extinction across the planet.

What…

What did he just say?

"Seto…" she breathed.

Although he was scowling, she couldn't help but realize what exactly he'd meant… _I hope you give faith a fighting chance…_ Who would've thought that Seto would be the one to throw her words right back at her? She let out a delirious chuckle at her own expense. Of course, it'd be him. They were all hypocrites sometimes. And though it was true that she would never lack in her faith of him, her faith in herself was finite at best. She had her moments of heroism, of confidence, but it lacked longevity.

Now here Seto was, telling her that he had faith in _her_.

What a role switch.

It had to mean something.

No…

He'd made it mean something… He made everything mean something. Raw happiness and love poured through her heart, and unending, immortal power.

"You… You have faith?" _In me?_

Seto closed the distance between them. Azure met sapphire in a shining nova of life. Of power. Of… Faith. "You've never given me a reason not to."

Five millennia worth of reasons… Or worth… Of faith…

 _You've never given me a reason not to._

Kisara threw herself around him, unwilling to ever let go. Tears threatened to fall, his arms encircling her petite frame. She settled her head onto his chest, falling deeper than she'd knew existed. Falling… Falling… "Thank you," she whispered softly.

She felt him sigh against her. "Yeah…"

Kisara smiled, and ascended.

.

.

.

 **White Knight**

 **Author's Note:**

 _And next chapter's the Gala! Lalalala~! So excited to write that! Seto emerges back as CEO, the beginnings of the Grand Master's Tournament are starting, and Kisara gets to be shown off the world as Seto's girlfriend~! So excited! However following the Gala chapter, the reason behind Seto's depression comes to light as well as the true pain he felt during that timeperiod. Nightmares and love can really tear at you, and Seto gets to experience that for five years. It may or may not be two chapters worth? Following that, the GMT begins! But enough spoilers from me. See you next time!_

 _By the way, Missey is an OC that won't be seen often, but will be seen every now and again when Seto or Kisara or Mokuba need an outfit specifically designed for them. I don't like OCs in fanfiction, but as far as I remember, Seto never disclosed who made his jackets, so Missey is born. I figured that'd be a nice touch, I mean, who doesn't want one of his jackets? ;)_

 _Also, I am disregarding the fact that you need to sacrifice the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon to summon the Blue Eyes Shining Dragon due to Kisara's current lack of them in her deck, so it can be summoned in the regular way in this fic._

 _Inform me of errors please._

 _And review, lovely readers! Constructive criticism is happily read by yours truly._

 _Have a lovely day~!_

 _-CassandraRoyal_


	7. A Thousand Years

**Official** _ **White Knight**_ **Summary:**

Five years have passed since Yami's victory over Yugi in the Ceremonial Duel, and five years have passed since Seto Kaiba placed himself in seclusion on a hideaway location that only five people in the whole world know about. Retiring from Duel Monsters and allowing his assistant to take over KaibaCorp in his absence, Seto thinks in solitude, pondering over his past, and plagued by dreams about the one known as 'Kisara'. Then one day, Yami appears before him, returning his deck to him and simply says, "It's time." Abruptly brought back into the world, Seto is told that Yami is attempting to bring back the Millennium Court in preparation for a possible new threat. However, he also mentions that it might be possible to bring Kisara back once again, and even with just a chance, Seto's willing to put everything on the line to do it. _Blueshipping_

.

 **White Knight**

 **Chapter Seven**

 **A Thousand Years**

.

 _I have died every day waiting for you,_

 _Darling don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years..._

 _I'll love you for a thousand more..._

 _And all along I believed I would find you,_

 _Time has brought your heart to me,_

 _I have loved you for a thousand years..._

 _I'll love you for a thousand more…_

-Christina Perri, _A Thousand Years_ Lyrics

.

" _We built it all, Then let it all crash down. We had it all, but let it burn to the ground. But maybe we turn around and get back, cause right now I'm off track. I'm looking for a way back to love! I need you now... I'm feenin' for your touch. Come back to love... Come back to love."_

Kisara danced around the granite kitchen, immersed in the music. She sang without fear, without holding back. She danced without fear, without holding back. She was herself, without holding back. Her gaze was glazed by the imaginings in her head, her spins and movements graceful, yet childish. She smiled when the instrumental melodies floated through her ears, her favorite part. She let her body be an extension of her soul, laughing all the while. Happy. She was happy.

Adorned in nothing but a nightgown, it was almost akin to what she wore back in Egypt, with baggy sleeves and dresslike figure. It was only much more comfortable, velvety cerulean and the trademark KC insignia on the back. It just felt _right_.

Like she belonged here. No, she did belong here. This was her home. Seto was her home. She was joyous to an aching degree, belting out notes with a passion unlike anyone before her. By the Gods was she happy.

Headphones boomed in her ears, and music filtered on through. She let time pass her by, repeating the same songs over and over again in memorized fancy.

It was now the day of the Gala. She was going as Seto's date. She would make her Dueling debut. She was going to be introduced into the world. She would be officially entering modern society. Everything started _today_ , and Kisara was positively ecstatic about it. Pretty much from the moment she'd awoken, she'd been in a dizzying euphoria. Already showered and clean, Kisara had brought her music along with her while she entered the kitchens, making the chefs laugh at her wholehearted nature. She'd even gotten them to sing with her on a few songs, much to her pleasure.

Why not be merry? Why not celebrate? Just, why not? She felt like she could shoot for the moon and land safely amongst the stars!

"Kisara?"

Hmm? "Oh! Mokuba! Good morning!" Kisara removed the headphones from her ears, the music still wafting about in softer decibels. "How was your night's sleep?" The chefs had left about ten minutes ago, having orders from Seto to make their meals at specific times to keep them on a practiced schedule, so it was them alone in the kitchen.

The younger Kaiba yawned. Being a Saturday, he'd probably gotten in late from work and slept in until now, almost ten in the morning. "Well, I just got up. I had a bit of a late night at KaibaCorp. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Seto's still working after all the Gala preparations. It was hell on Earth at Headquarters last night." He groaned, collapsing into one of the island chairs beside her.

Kisara was about to question the Kaiba brothers' health when Mokuba asked, "By the way, did you have the radio on in here a moment ago, or something?"

She blinked. "No. I just have my headphones in. Why?"

Mokuba shot up in his chair. "That was _you_ then?"

"Huh?"

"The singing?" Mokuba clarified, frantic. "That was _you_?"

Kisara smiled a little, confused. "Umm, yes?"

For some reason, Mokuba covered his face in his hands and laughed. "Of course, it was," he said to himself, chuckling. "Well, that's kinda perfect then." He faced her, a sly smile on his lips. "Like I said, Headquarters was hell on Earth last night. One of our lead singers for the Gala quit after an argument with Seto about refusing to date her afterwards." He rolled his eyes, exasperated. "She really only sang one song during the course of the evening, but it was supposed to end the night. We were going to just scrap the whole thing and have Seto make a speech, but now, _now_ I think I found an understudy that gets to shine. One that probably deserves it more anyway."

Pushing her gleeful, yet traitorous thoughts away from Seto's refusal to date another girl, Kisara forced herself to think straight. Tentatively, almost disbelievingly, she asked, "You want me to sing at the Gala tonight?"

Mokuba shrugged. "I don't see why not. I mean, it'll get you more publicity, which'll help both KaibaCorp and you. Oh, and since this is such short notice, I'll let you pick the song. You're creative, and I respect that. What do you say?"

"I-I just want to clarify here. Do you really want _me_ to sing?" She was reluctant in the only regard that she didn't want him to regret his choice, nothing more. She didn't want to disappoint him after all he'd done for her….

"Mmmmhhmmm," Mokuba hummed, enunciating the sounds as he nodded once. The decision was final on his end.

Kisara grinned. "Then I'll do it. I just have one tinsy, _tiny_ request…"

.

"Mr. Kaiba~!" Missey sang, bursting through the study doors and making her grand entrance. "I'm back~!" She giggled a little after the fact, glad to be of service to the legendary Seto Kaiba once again. "And why, now, it's so nice to see you again! The Man in White has finally returned! Haha!" Then she gasped. "And why didn't you tell me that you had a girl? You know I wouldn't have spread a word! She's adorable by the way."

Seto remained silent throughout her tirade of greetings and queries, partially wondering why he'd kept this woman on as his personal designer for all these years. She certainly had a disposition that clashed with his usual employees. Stark. Extroverted. And constantly _happy_. He would never understand her, not that he wanted to in the first place, but she was weird. Weird stuck in the mind, unwilling to be let go. Perhaps that was why.

There was also that title. The Man in White. It irked him to a point. He had a name, and he preferred it to be used with respect instead of resorting to a title he'd never once clarified on his resume.

Finally, after a pause, he demanded, "What are you doing here, Missey?"

"Why, MoMo didn't tell you?" she gasped. The deliberate use of his brother's nickname made him scowl, but Missey was undeterred. "Miss Kisara bought a dress the other day and I need to get you fitted for your suit for tonight so it'll match. Late, I'm aware, but I'm quick with these things, you know that." Her smile was warm, as always. How annoying.

But her work was worth it. "The design of the dress?"

"A surprise, I'm afraid. I'm under strict orders from Ms. Valentine to keep a tight lip."

"And her orders outweigh mine?" There was a hint of ice that demanded a reevaluation of her statement.

Missey faltered, then smiled sheepishly. "She said, and I _quote_ , 'I want to have that supercilious bastard to lose his marbles for the first time in forever. You are not ruining this for me, or anyone else, least of all Kisara.'"

"Valentine," Seto growled. She'd used Kisara as the safeguard, huh? Whatever. He'd get her back for it later. "Fine," he relented, allowing his lack of power to go unavenged. "Let's just get this done with."

Missey squealed excitedly, miraculously pulling out a sheathed suit from behind her back. The main color, while partially veiled by the transparent protectant, was creamy, almost white. That left Kisara's dress to be something light-colored. How vague. He really wouldn't be able to discern anything with his suit alone. He'd have to wait.

How clever of those women, the lot of them. He scowled.

"Oh, Mr. Kaiba, don't be mad! I'm sure Miss Kisara's looking forward to tonight. At least pretend to be neutral about it. Apathy over antipathy, remember?" She handed over the suit for him to change, smiling reassuringly all throughout, even as he snatched it out of her grasp. She wasn't the least bit ruffled by his attitude. Perhaps that was why he'd kept her. Didn't startle, didn't scare, didn't run away like a raving lunatic amidst adversity.

Seto spared the petite designer a glance. It wasn't quite respect that passed between them, but there was a sense of acknowledgement in Seto's gaze. Missey flashed him a wink, which he indignantly ignored. Annoying.

.

As night descended upon the sparkling city of Domino, life seemed to explode from the populous. The city raged with splendor and glory in the nighttime hours, casting out raving duelists and glitzy celebrities to vacate their homes for a Gala they would never soon forget. Media and paparazzi traveled throughout crowds in clamoring numbers, praying for a scoop to unveil itself amid their observations, and pedestrians whispered in awe at the pure hype of it all, wondering if they'd hear about the mysteries behind the excitement within the following days. Everyone was aglow with curiosity, but only a seldom minority knew what would transpire.

No one knew that Seto Kaiba intended on hosting another world-wide tournament. No one knew the story behind the notorious 'bluenette' at his side. No one knew why he'd suddenly returned from a five-year hiatus. And no one knew why he'd decided to throw a Gala in the first place. What was it all about? The world find out in the passing hours because the whole world was watching, waiting for news behind it all. Not a single eye wasn't watching Seto Kaiba, the third greatest duelist in the history of Duel Monsters and the richest man alive.

But Kisara knew.

Currently, Missey was putting on the final touches of her look for the night. The designer was practically radiating glee, grinning from ear to ear as the last of the makeup was cascaded over Kisara's porcelain features. Mai had decided to sit this one out, seeing as she would be needing all the she could get to just appear 'presentable' for the Gala. Alexis had rolled her eyes, but agreed to meet them at the KC Headquarters before the Gala started. Apparently, a number of invite Duelists were supposed to be apart of a certain event that Seto had planned, but the details were discreet and wouldn't be disclosed until they arrived.

"Okay!" Missey squealed, clapping her hands together. "You can open your eyes now, Kisara Dear~!"

One breath in. One breath out. Then she slowly did as instructed, the trifold mirror before her exhibiting an unprecedented sight.

Kisara was adorned in a sleeveless, elegant, white gown, trimmed in gleaming gold, that descended down to the floor in a waterfall of fabric, swaying with every step she took. An Egyptian-styled dress, but the concept didn't end there. Mid-forearm golden bands hugged her wrists, flat sandals that glittered with gold on her toes, and a single golden choker rested around her neck. Then her hair. While not curled to perfection like she'd had it recently, it was straightened down her back with pieces done up in colorful, metal beads that represented the landscapes of the Nile River Basin. When she finally looked at her face, she found that she was an Egyptian Queen fit to rule. Glittering cerulean eye-shadows were painted from her obsidian lashes up to her brows in an ocean of ancient art, while the signature kohl lines cut from her eyes ending just an inch from the edges of her facial contours.

Kisara sucked in a breath. She… She… The image was utterly… Utterly… Utterly…

… Breathtaking. Emotions swelled in her gut, an ancient remembrance of lost time. A possibility. Kisara didn't care if she stayed in this gown for another second. She'd already memorized every detail, every care, every line, every… Every possibility. That she was given the right to wear the finery of her homeland, she was forever grateful.

A Queen of Egypt.

She'd become a Queen of Egypt.

The idea was almost ludicrous. Almost insanity. It never would've… Would it? She never would've been able… No. She couldn't go there. It never would've happened. Seto would've gotten a wife of noble birth, one worthy 0f him. Not her. Never her.

It _never_ would've been her.

Unbidden, selfish tears sprung to her lids. How awful was she to even think of such an ordeal...

From the corner of her peripheral, the Millennium Scale gleamed. Only a few weeks ago, Yami had somehow cast a spell over the immortal artifact that'd shrunk the size of it down to a mere three inch diameter. She'd later looped it through a necklace, and placed it around her neck. She'd planned on doing just that once she'd finished getting dressed, but now…

Did she deserve its magic? Did she really deserve this fate?

Did she really deserve this happiness?

"Are you moved to tears, dear?" Missey queried softly, reading the situation only a little.

Kisara let out a shuttering sigh, "M—More than you could ever imagine…" It was the complete truth.

Missey's hand drew to her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I'll sent in Mr. Kaiba. I'm sure he'll want to see you."

Their gazes met in the mirror, but the image of the bespeckled woman was blurred by Kisara's tears. "Thank you, Missey."

"I'd do anything for the girl who stole the Man in White's heart," the designer stated adamantly, her very character changing in an instant. "It means you're very special, Kisara. He's a man that will only ever fall in love once, and it means that you're it."

Kisara's reply was a choked on a dry sob, and the designer left the scene as quietly as an assassin. Barely a footfall could be heard, but she wasn't trying to listen. Her thoughts were a swirling mass of deprecation. Maybe she was blasting this out of proportion, but the constant tug warned her not to think otherwise. She was wholeheartedly thankful for everything Seto had done, for freeing her from the void, for caring for her, for giving her a home, for giving her safety, for giving her hope… For giving her, her wish.

To be with him.

Her last and final wish upon death having done them part. To be with him. And as the Blue Eyes she'd been able to remain by his side for an eternity, but what she'd desired both then and now, more than anything else… Was to be _with_ him. As a human. To become old together. To stay by one another's side together. It was all she ever wanted in life.

But now that she had it…

Well, despite everyone's reassurances about how much Seto was in love with her, never had he truly stated as such in words. His actions spoke lengths, but words were written in stone, binding, and impartial to actions. Words spoke time, and she'd waited over five millennia. And she knew that he cared for her… But where did that caring end? To what degree?

And did she really deserve—

"Kisara…"

It was like that time. In a memory not quite real, not quite reality. It was like a picturesque fragment from the past that'd been distorted, yet veiled by clarity. As if from a vivid dream. Seto. This Seto. Seto _Kaiba_ had met her while she'd been desperately searching for Priest Seto… In an alleyway on the streets Memphis… And as she thought about it, it was the technically the first time they'd really met.

When the future came back to greet the past…`

He'd drawled her name in awe. At that time, he'd voiced her name with such astonishment, such shock. He'd known her from a vision, but nothing more; never expecting to come face to face with a woman from beyond this life. That was how he'd addressed her now.

In awe.

Kisara turned to face him, a single tear trailing down her cheek.

Seto's jaw fell agape at first glance, but then he noticed the tear. He almost bolted towards her, this… This… This creature that shined with light and regality and life. _A Queen_ , he realized. A disheartened Queen.

"What happened?" he immediately demanded.

Sapphire orbs widened, then closed in an attempt to eliminate the flow of a sea. That sea didn't fall any further, but pooled precariously at the edges, ready to descend at any moment. "I—I just…" she tried.

"You what?"

"I…" She stopped, straightened, then locked gazes with him. Her brows knit. "Do I deserve this, Seto?"

He was blatantly confounded. "What?"

"Do I _deserve_ this?" She was gesturing wildly, insistent on receiving an answer that he couldn't discern.

"Deserve _what_?"

Then something in Kisara just snapped.

"I'm not a princess, Seto! I'm not someone who will make a difference in your life! I'm not beautiful! I'm a blue-haired, pale-faced, _freak_ from a life you despised for so many years! I'm a dragon that has _nothing_ to offer you other than my gratitude! What can I ever do to help you? I've been in your debt for over five millennia, Seto! I'm just a useless nobody that loves _you_ —"

A newfound rage built in him, and he backed her into a corner, her exposed shoulders pressing against the glassen trifold. He slammed his hands against the solid mirror thereafter, and all the while he couldn't stand it. "Stop it!" he hissed.

Of all the times he'd been unable to combat his wrath, now in this moment, stole whatever first place metal rested in his metal reserves.

Her voice cracked… "But Seto—"

"Do you think it _matters_ to me what you are?" Seto bit out, indignant in his resolve. "To me you are Kisara! _That's it_. And being who you are is _all that matters_. And Gods damn it all, you are beautiful. Forget what happened in Egypt. Forget the past. It's over and done and it will never happen again so long as I live. You've been safeguarding me for five millennia, Kisara, and it's about high time I've returned the favor in full. You owe me nothing. _I'm_ the one that has a debt to pay!"

He kissed her right then and there, ending whatever had been on the tip of her tongue, ending whatever emotional rant she'd dared to spill. The kiss was soft and serene, meant to dissuade and compel into silence. A sweet, sensual feeling spread through her chest as all trace of thought—emotional or otherwise—was chucked out the window. All she felt was him, there. There.

Together.

That was something that didn't tag along for a single ride. It wasn't a one time thing. It was a lifelong commitment, and he'd sealed the deal with one touch.

Kisara melted into him without trying, her words lost in an instant as her eyelids fluttered to a close. Nothing else mattered. Nothing, perhaps, ever would.

 _She was devastating_ , Seto thought sourly, barely scraping logical thinking in a moment like this. His emotions were on an all-time high. _But this girl… She'll surely be the end of me._ The idea, honestly, wasn't quite as intolerable as he would've expected, because really, he knew that there wasn't a life after Kisara. Nothing would lead him without her… There wasn't a life after Kisara. He'd accepted that fact long ago…

By the Gods, he should've kissed her months ago…

Soft and warm and flush against him. He suppressed a moan as he forced himself to pull away, leading her into his arms, where she sighed into him.

Seto hadn't realized, having been in the moment, that she'd told him she loved him. He'd only realize that later, when the clock struck twelve and the rain pierced the soft grasses of his garden in a drenching hiss. When he awoke to nightmares about a life he'd already escaped from, and pressed onward into a reality he was content to live.

.

 _She would've been my Queen_ , Seto thought only an hour later. He watched, ablaze with a lone gaze as she stepped out of the limousine. Roland caught her hand, giving her assistance to which she smiled in thanks. Then that same smile was set in his direction, but there was a grace in it that was meant for him alone. What contentment, she radiated. It was as if he'd answered everything for her in a single moment.

Maybe he had.

She hooked her arm in his as the cerulean carpet below ascended the stairs into KC Headquarters. All about, cameras flashed and the paparazzi attempted to call out to them. The lunatics. They were not getting _any_ information until the press conference started. At his side, Kisara smiled at the crowd, the berating attention seemingly ineffective to her brightness. He mainly kept his cool, features infallibly impassive amidst the chaos despite his inner, less amiable contemplations.

"Stop scowling," Kisara whispered. Any hint of admonishment was lost in translation due to her euphoric aura.

Seto waved off a smirk, the scowl falling from his features.

Incessant questions were fired off in every direction, ranging in details about his hiatus to the 'exotic bluenette' on his arm. The sight was unusual, he'd admit. Five years ago, he never would've predicted this.

He was satisfied.

.

A half hour later, Seto stood before a podium centering around a ballroom of press and guests. Kisara, Mokuba, and Roland were behind him as to allow their presence to be acknowledged and displayed for their individual importance to tonight's presentations. Amid the light glaring into his eyes, he spotted the entirety of the Millennium Court and their tag-alongs in the distance. He shared a terse nod with Yami, but otherwise went onto business.

It was like nothing had ever changed.

But really, everything had.

"As you are all well aware," Seto began. "I am Seto Kaiba, CEO of KaibaCorperations and former Duel Monsters Champion." He paused for a moment of deliverance. "For personal reasons I will not disclose the details nor reasons behind my disappearance as it was by my own choice. The seldom few that do know have my personal confidence in mind, but those who dare to follow into my story will _deeply_ regret it, I can assure you." He glared at the TV screen then to the various reporters he knew _would_ go against his wishes.

From Yami's perspective, everyone just sighed. How very like Kaiba to keep his intimidating image ingrained into the Domino City populous immediately upon return…

"All I will tell you is that I have returned in full, and I have now officially reclaimed my position in KaibaCorp. Due to my return, my brother Mokuba, will be brought in as Vice President, and Roland Isono will take over security measures as he did before my departure. That is all I will state for the current positions within KaibaCorp, and no other questions will be answered for this."

"As for the importance of the Gala tonight, created tonight by Mokuba Kaiba." He paused, and mandatory applause filtered throughout the room before he continued.

"Tonight I will announce the start of a new Duel Monsters Tournament. _The Grand Master's Tournament_. It will be similar to the World Grand Champions five years previous, but will allow for registration all across the globe for anyone, anywhere. Amateur and professional will both be allowed in. It will start within each country, then based upon populations from within each country, a select number will be brought into the 100 Leader Championships, where only 100 Duelists are able to compete. This portion will be held within Domino City, before the final eight will fight in three duels each before deciding the rankings of the top eight in the world. To add, due to the predicted numbers of participants, the tournament is single elimination until the top eight are decided."

A stunned silence passed only for a few seconds before press began firing off their queries. Seto quietly them instantly, "Questions will _not_ be permitted until I am done speaking." That lethal regality poured through his voice, and no one went against him.

"To commemorate the start of the Grand Master's Tournament, I have invited a number of famous duelists from across the globe to attend tonight's Gala, and to squash any rumors wafting through Domino about myself and Kisara."

Everyone's attention snapped to the bluenette behind him, who smiled and waved politely. Seto held out his hand to her, which she took, standing in front of the podium and before the glitzy crowd below.

"My name is Kisara Ryuu," Kisara announced proudly, and a murmur of intrigue spilled from the guests. "Recently I have been asked to be KaibaCorp's sponsor duelist for the GMT, which I have happily accepted. I'm relatively unknown within the dueling community, but my talents were noticed by Seto awhile back. We—" she stopped, throwing Seto a blushing grin. Everyone was on the tips of their toes once she spoke his _first name_. No one referred to Seto Kaiba by his first name. _No one_. To do so meant great importance in Seto Kaiba's personal life. "We are also in a relationship," Kisara finally finished, and the crowd went absolutely ballistic.

 _Who_ was this girl?

 _How_ did they meet?

 _When_ did they meet?

 _Where_ did she come from?

No one went without curiosity.

"I—I am twenty years old," Kisara answered. "I'm from Tokyo, but I'm also an orphan. Seto and I met in Japan actually, before his ascension as CEO. That was about ten years ago, but it's a rather sad story on my end, so I won't really get into that right now." She smiled ruefully, then moved on. "I've been dueling since I was a child, when the great Maximillion Pegasus invented the game. It's what I love, and I hope you get to see me and have high expectations for me to do well. I'm really happy to be here." Definitely not the whole truth, but what else could her story be? Then, without warning, she pointed into the crowd, exacting her gaze towards the King of Games himself. "And be ready, Yami Muto. We both have unfinished business from the past to clean up!"

In the distance, Yami gave her his signature thumbs up. The respect between them caught the attention of the whole crowd.

Just who was this girl? Challenging the King of Games right then and there! Seto smirked vilely too, which augmented the spirit of the both the duelists and spectators.

"Wait, then—Mr. Kaiba!" one reporter interjected. "Since you have a sponsor duelist, does this mean that you won't be participating in the GMT?"

"That's exactly what it means."

"Is there a reason behind this?" the same reporter asked, now at the forefront of the questioning.

There was no reason not to admit this fact. "I don't duel anymore," Seto admitted flatly.

The whole room all but exploded in shock. Everyone gawked at him. Seto Kaiba didn't duel anymore?! Since when—

"I have no further comment on my dueling profession. However, I will say this. Kisara Ryuu, out of everyone here, has the best odds of competing against Yami Muto. That is all. Let the Gala begin."

With that, the chandeliers from high above the Grand Ballroom flickered off, engulfing the area in utter blackness other than the city lights beyond the glassen windows outside. The crowd shouted in dismay, startled at the abrupt loss of illumination. Then a single spotlight was thrown on a section of the floor, centering on two individuals in particular. A King and Queen in their own right, they mesmerized onlookers with their natural demeanor of regality. Seto Kaiba and Kisara Ryuu.

Guests backed away in an attempt to leave them in the spotlight, where they glowed with preternatural grace and refinement. The Gala had begun, and with it, Seto's second obligation of the night.

Soft, sensual enrapturement of the heart was easy for Kisara when it came to Seto, but the classical melodies that slowly ascended into the air around her, created a scene only heard of in fairytales. In that moment she was a Queen, Seto's rightful Queen, and she felt it down to her very bones. _This_. This was right. It was perfect.

They waltzed. Kisara was smiling unlike ever before, giggling as the reality of it all took hold on her and forced her to acknowledge that she was living dreams. She was consumed by joy. Nothing could ever replace this feeling of unadulterated elation.

Euphoria.

They spindled and spiraled around the marble flooring beneath their feet, orbs locked in an embrace that collided with every shade of blue across the planet. This was theirs, forgone in a detention all their own, as it should've been a long ago. And when she twirled, time slowed as a waterfall of electric white flourished around her, everything augmented, everything moved, everything… Just everything.

Never in history had a love story been so real, so true.

It was also the first of two times in Seto's life that he would dance before a crowd. The second of which was three years later, on the evening of that'd been predated by destiny for many millennia.

.

"Do you seen the way he looks at her?" Tea whispered excitedly from inside the crowd. The Millennium Court and its various tag-alongs were all watching the proceedings with an eye of contentment. They knew the story being portrayed across the ballroom floor. "It's like she's the only girl in the room!"

Mai smirked. "More like the only girl in the world. Kisara's _clearly_ the only girl for him."

Yami smiled a little at the display before him, leaning against a stone pillar at the edges of the ballroom, and pretended to be a wallflower. He bore witness to a happy ending. It was a calm, natural feeling in his chest, but a twinge of wistfulness whispered in his ancient soul. If only… The image of a bronze beauty with laughing emerald eyes twinkled in his mind. How different things were from then. When he'd been pharaoh, and when she'd been alive.

 _Shatter_.

Yami blinked, and turned around. Had something fallen? It sounded like a vase—His thoughts halted, and the beat of his heart accelerated. No, he reminded himself. It wouldn't be possible. But laid out before him was a single vase, shattered beyond compare and at his side, his duel box shined. He knew exactly which card was emitting that light, and he couldn't help the ruefulness that spread throughout his heart at the sight. Undoubtedly, it was Mana.

.

All throughout the night, Kisara smile remained intact, infallible to the negatives in life. It shined and soared to those around her, painting the atmosphere with jovial hues that no one could ever blacken. The mood was serene, if not a little excited. Kisara ignited cheer and curiosity by her very appearance, both physically and emotionally. No one had ever expected Seto Kaiba to fall in love, let alone with someone that radiated compassion and understanding. People adored her instantly, including the press.

Once her waltz with Seto was complete, he set off in another direction, conversing with other CEOs and invite duelists. Every few minutes she'd see him and wink, and there were even times when he specifically called upon her presence, consulting her opinions and possibilities for the tournament with the guests.

One minute she would be speaking to a gaming president and the next, one of her friends would be asking her to dance. She'd danced with nearly every male member of their group, including Pegasus and Mr. Muto. She'd laughed and smiled every second, especially when Joey and Jaden made the most random jokes.

Yami had even danced with her, much to her inner pleasure. The Pharaoh was a quiet soul when the world was at rest, and that he cared to partake in a dance with her was gratifying. They spoke of dueling and Seto's past, and eventually made it towards less solid ground. Where sand encompassed the terrain and monsters roamed in the darkness. They spoke of Ancient Egypt, of their lives, and of what they'd hoped would've come out of it. He told her about his own ending, where'd he'd separated from the woman who'd unknowingly stole his heart. And whose own soul was trapped inside a tablet within their home kingdom. She felt a certain connection with Yami Muto after that, and was pleased to find that they would continue on as close companions. Their lives would always entangle with Ancient Egypt. It was the way destiny had been spun.

Even later into the night, Seto arranged for several non-tournament duels between a few of the invite duelists, which caused quite the hype. Yami softly declined the offer, preferring to stick on the sidelines and observe the skirmishes. Jaden participated in several duels, much to the exasperation of his girlfriend, who wanted some alone time with him for at least a little while.

However, the biggest surprise came when Joey formally declared to duel Mai. It came out of nowhere, startling those nearby, but Mai accepted the duel with a sly grin. It was in the moments after Joey won that it happened. The duel area was cleared save for the two of them, and Mai just rolled her eyes, undeterred by the loss.

"You big trickster," Mai sighed, grinning. "Those luck cards are always there for you, aren't they?"

But Joey was silent, his gaze serious. Her brows furrowed. What kind of expression was that? Off to the side, Yugi and Yami smiled knowingly, as did a few of the other girls, who knew the situation, whereas Seto watched the scene silently, ever the knight beside Kisara.

"They're not the only thing that's always there for me, Mai," Joey told her, uncharacteristically intense.

"Oh? And what else is there?"

Joey closed the distance between them. It was akin to five years ago during the Battle City Tournament, where they'd been so close, where the feelings had really started to shine through. His touch was gentle on her cheeks, their foreheads pressed together. Mai's eyes widened. This behavior…

"You," he answered. "Isn't it obvious, Mai? I mean, _come on._ It's always been ya."

"Joey—"

Before she could do anything else, he descended to a single knee, one hand softly enclosing her left, and the other held a shimmering ring. Was he really…

"I realize I'm not the most glamorous guy ya've known," he began, tentative. "I never will be either, but I do love ya, Mai. Maybe I always hav'. I dunno… I mean—"

"Just ask me, Joey." Serenity was in her voice, sweet, sweet serenity. Nothing could've been more peaceful than the words she'd said. Content. Happy.

That familiar, dumb grin formed on his lips. "I always knew ya'd say yes."

Then Mai got cold. "If you just assume I'll say yes, than I'll leave here in less than ten seconds, Wheeler! Just ask already." But there was a warmth in her chastisement that echoed between them.

Joey sweatdropped, knowing his mistake. Then…

"Mai Valentine," he breathed. "Will ya be my wife?"

"Well…" She cocked her head, sizing him up. "I mean, I wouldn't _mind—_ "

"Jus' say yes, already," Joey complained, reverting back to himself. "I can already feel the rage comin' off Kaiba for taking this long. I'm probably gonna to get it later—"

Mai kissed him without warning, and everyone clapped at the newfound engagement. The Millennium Court whooped, and many were shouting out compliments. When they parted, Joey grinned widely before before bellowing out for the world to hear, "Aw, yeah! I'm gettin' married!" Many laughed, and the night was at its height.

.

Kisara clutched the Millennium Scale hanging low on her collarbone, and a familiar warmth spread through the pads of her fingertips. Earlier that evening, after her first kiss with Seto, he'd also read that her troubles dealt with her ability to wield a Millennium Item. He'd practically snatched it up from the table before clasping it around her neck. Apparently, their faith in one another was far greater than their faith in themselves. Seto's pride surrounded his everyday passions, but his doubt and sorrow of the past drew his lack of faith, whereas she had the opposite effect. She was wholeheartedly invested in her past life, but she lacked self-confidence.

How perfect was it that their imperfections contrasted so greatly? In a way, it was their saving grace. They were each-other's saving grace. One could no longer live without the other. It was the way destiny would have it.

They'd found their other half.

Long after the sun had set, and the engagement of the two blonde duelists, Seto had taken Kisara back up to his office for some silence. Her lover could only handle the public for a short while before retreating to a more secluded place. For someone who'd waged war for most of his life, he certainly had a disdain for the boisterous, she thought wryly.

Walking in, he didn't turn on the lights, but the city's illuminations reflected through the glass of his office windows.

Seto sighed, "Finally out of there."

Kisara giggled, shutting out the world behind them. "You say that as if the Gala's over."

"Might as well be. All that's left is some random singer's performance in twenty minutes, and its not like I need be there for it."

Kisara turned her head curiously. "You don't want to hear it?"

Seto just looked at her. "I'd rather watch Wheeler duel again."

She winced. Ouch. Apparently, he wasn't very keen on watching the performance. It was only too bad he didn't know who was actually singing~! She stifled a laugh. He would care then!

She placed herself at the edge of the windows. Only a hairsbreadth of glass separated her from the lower domain. Then she moved onto a more relevant topic. "So, how'd I do tonight? I mean really?"

The act of Kisara Ryuu, a Japanese orphan with a secret connection to him as a child and a unknown history of dueling. Also the official girlfriend of one Seto Kaiba. To add, she had the appearance of an exotic Queen of Egypt, so…

Seto pulled at his tie, removing it from his person. Half-distracted, he answered, "Perfect, actually."

"I probably shouldn't have challenged Yami like that though," she said sheepishly, remembering how the whole room had exploded into chaos.

"Really," Seto scoffed, disregarding her doubt. "I thought it was brilliant idea."

"I-I suppose," Kisara agreed quietly. Her gaze flickered from his to the floor and back, a blush forming. "A-Also, I would like to thank you for your confidence in me before. You know, about me being the one person who'd be able to challenge Yami…"

"It's basic logic," he stated offhandedly.

She straightened. "What do you mean?"

"Unlike five years ago, I have a knowledge of my past. It created a situation in this timeline that connects to ancient civilizations, which in turn caused Yami and I to become rivals whether we liked it or not. And with your origins, you have the best chance of beating him at his own game, like I did."

Seto was staring outside, obviously not home. Usually, he'd wave off or reluctantly acknowledge his past, but to truly admit to it was unreal. Unbidden, a giggle escaped her lips. Eventually, it became uncontrollable and she threw her head back in laughter. How hilariously ironic.

Seto tisked, growling under his breath. He didn't enjoy being laughed at, and had it been anyone else, he would've bit their head off. But this was Kisara. She had her _privileges_.

"I-I'm sorry," Kisara attempted, breathing heavily and still giggling a little. "That was rude of me—"

Seto glared at her, silently insisting that it had, _in fact_ , been _very_ rude. And Kisara fell back into a another bout of uncontrollable laughter. His expression utterly _priceless_. This time, Seto's lips thinned and he almost walked away just so he wouldn't have to hear her laugh at his own expense, but the sound struck a chord in him that allowed for whatever sullen pride of his to soften. Fine, he thought, irate, let her have her fun. She'd done more good than he could ever hope to repay just by being alive. He crossed his arms and looked away, impatiently waiting for her to be done laughing in his face.

A solid minute passed where nothing but Kisara's giggles could be heard from the inside of Seto's office.

When she finally settled down, a warm quiet settled upon their shoulders. Well, at least, she was done—

Without warning, she wrapped herself around him, nestling herself into his chest. Absently, he stared at her, refusing to unravel his already crossed arms in some attempt to oppose her mirth towards him, but she continued on in her assault, humming to herself and on the verge of giggles. Apparently, he must've been hilarious in nature, and the idea caused his scowl to deepen on his features.

Vividly annoyed by this point, Seto took a step back. Here he was, verbally accepting his past life, and she was rubbing it into his face as if to say, 'I told you so~!'. Seto was _not_ happy, maneuvering himself away from her advances in an ironically childish fashion. How she'd ruined him so.

" _Kisara_ ," he growled.

"Oh, fine, you big _bear_!" she giggled. Her sapphires were shining with light and life. "Or would you prefer ' _dragon_ '?"

Seto started, his stance bolt upright. Now that, _that_ caught him, and suddenly primal instincts kicked in. He found himself backing her to the windows, the only thing separating her from the outside a cold plane of glass pressing against her skin.

"See? Very draconian, don't you think?" Kisara grinned, seeminly comfortable in their decidedly _intimate_ position. Jokingly, she made up a face of mock-aggression and used her hands as claws. "Rawr!"

As much as Seto would never admit it aloud, the act was positively adorable. Embarrassed rage marred his normally impassive features.

"That's _not_ funny, Kisara."

"Oh, come on, Seto!" She poked his cheek. "I think everyone knows that you have a Blue Eyes White Dragon fetish~!"

Characteristically, he was scowling. Uncharacteristically, however, there was a soft tint on his cheeks. "I do not," he bit out.

But she wasn't listening. She was singing, "And it's all _because of me_!" She threw her head back laughing, clearly finding his discomfort a leisure activity that she heavily enjoyed. When she regained her composure, she smiled at him. It was a warm smile, one that meant the world to him. How many times had he wished to see it in this lifetime? Too many times to count.

So he stole that smile, stole her lips, and in a torrential downfall that left them both breathless afterward.

He really loved that smile.

.

When the clock struck ten, Kisara had drug Seto from his office and back to the ballroom. She'd simply told him that she had something to do, which perplexed him to a certain extent. What could she possibly be doing at this hour? He'd already finished his work for the evening, and had every intention of spending the rest of his time with Kisara. What could she have going on?

Then she left him standing on the sidelines with the promise of her return, but no clue as to where she was going. Not even a hint on her part, which Seto found more than a little troubling. Begrudgingly, he relented and let her walk away.

It was a terrifying sight for him to witness.

Kisara. Walking away.

He nearly grabbed her hand and forced her to stay, but went with his better judgement and stood still as stone. He watched her disappear in the crowd, her baby blue locks lost amongst the gowns and feet of the ballroom. His gaze was cold on any who dared so much as glance at him wrong, eyes also flickering between bodies of people, and waited for tints of blue to appear in his line of vision.

Then, something strange happened.

The entire ballroom went silent, and the chandeliers dropped their illuminations. The hall darkened save for the single spotlight on the stage. A lustrous grand piano, painted pure white glimmered in the azureus hues was there, and so was Kisara in all her glory. A Queen of Egypt.

His Queen.

What the hell was she doing?

He raised a brow.

At first, a few stray notes fluttered into the air, akin to the motion of raindrops from the sky. They were soft and warm, blessed by her hand in single beats. Almost a heartbeat. But then, a waterfall of music spilled from her mouth, "Heart, beats, fast… Colors and promises… How to be brave? How can I love when I'm afraid to fall? But watching you stand _alone_ , all of _my doubt_ … Suddenly goes away somehow."

" _One_ step _closer_ …"

A twinkling of piano keys encompassed the area, her voice angelic in the dark night. The chorus filtered on through, the melodies keeping the universe at bay and staying time.

"I have died every day waiting for you, darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you

For a thousand years… I'll love you for _a thousand more_ …"

Vaguely, Seto realized that this was for him. This story… It was theirs. A bittersweet, yet wholly arrogant smirk tugged at his lips.

He listened on.

"And all along I believed I would find you… Time has brought your heart to me, I have loved you for a thousand years… I'll love you for a thousand more…"

The memories of him in Egypt flashed through his mind, always adamant to remind him that it was really quite real. That Kisara had sworn her eternal allegiance to him as the Blue Eyes White Dragon. Five thousand years had passed since then, and unknowingly, they'd both been waiting for each other.

Hoping.

Believing.

Searching throughout time and space and realms of spirits.

Destiny…

He really despised how it'd torn them apart for so long.

Then…

Rebirth.

Fate had finally done them a favor, not that he didn't pave his own path, but those inevitable powers from beyond this life did have their damnable influences whether he wanted them there or not.

To whatever Gods cared to acknowledge his change of heart, Seto cast his attention to the starlit sky above. His eyes narrowed. He shouldn't be able to see stars in the middle of Domino City. He wanted to scoff at the pure ridiculousness of it. Maybe destiny favored him to some degree, not that he liked it, but…

"I'll love you for a thousand more…"

With Kisara, he was more than willing to accept whatever the world threw at him.

.

.

.

 **White Knight**

 _ **Author's Note:**_

And end of part one~!

 _Honestly, of all the songs I've used and will use of this story, 'A Thousand Years' really portrays their relationship. I mean really. Only 'Shades of Blue' rivals it. It's beautifully romantic and transcends time, which is exactly how they lived. It's extraordinary._

 _Next chapter will explain how Seto became so willing to believe in the supernatural side of his life._

 _ **Attention readers:** I've recently decided that due to another story I really want to write, I'm going to finish this story at the end of the GMC tournament, instead of continuing it to see the whole war against darkness arc. I've almost been considering  White Knight as a kind of a ton of one-shots connected through a similar backstory, instead of an actual story with a problem all throughout the story. I mean, they'll really get together in the middle of the next chapter, so… Yeah. It's not much of as story, just fluff, and I want to write a story where there's actually plot and action and emotional romance… The story I'm considering is called King of Dragons a sequel/spin off story of Queen of Dragons, which is currently in the works, as seen on my profile (I would humbly appreciate it, if you read that too! I've started it, it's only about 5,000 words in, but it's online) Both stories will be extremely long, I can assure you. The plot is huge and there are so many problems. Blueshipping all the way~!_

 _The song at the beginning was ' Back to Love' by DJ Pauly D feat. Jay Sean_

 _Inform me of errors please._

 _And review, lovely readers! Constructive criticism is happily read by yours truly._

 _Have a lovely day~!_

 _-CassandraRoyal_


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